demonic delema knotted wand
by lunerwerewolf
Summary: harry potter twin of the boy who lived is raised by Seshomaru
1. Chapter 1

Lilly potter sat up sharply in bed and tried not to cry as she remembered the dream she'd just had. She'd been prone to having dreams foretelling possible futures since she'd turned 12. This thankfully was one of the ones she could influence as she'd seen 3 possible futures. For a moment she simply gazed down at her husband, James, in horror and disgust. The one thing she'd seen that was actually finite was that he would hurt their son. She couldn't understand it. James loved both of his sons, so how could he do what she'd seen in her dreams?

She wanted to believe it was just a nightmare, but years of experience with her visions had taught her differently.

In one vision she'd seen her youngest son Harry, banished to the basement, looking thin and won, having never seen the light of day. She'd seen Sirius, Remus, and Severus mourning the loss of her child, for the wizarding world thought him dead and only James knew of his existence.

The second and third vision shared a common beginning, and she saw James throwing their small child down a well – of all things – from there her two visions diverged. She saw Harry grow up to be a thin, delinquent criminal, who drank and gambled in back allies. Had countless tattoos, and a long thin scar running across his face, through one permanently white, unseeing eye.

She'd also seen the drugs, and the violence.

All because he'd been abandoned, left for dead by the man who should have loved him and kept him safe.

But her third vision gave her hope. She saw a little girl, holding her little Harry, and then in a flash she saw both children change. Black hair to silvery white, only their eyes stayed the same – and she heard the one thing that both broke her heart and gave her hope. She heard both of those small children give a joyous shout of "Uncle," before running off to glomp a man in strange clothing. It looked like a fur kilt; made of a wolf's pelt with the tail still attached, matching boots (that didn't cover his toes) and what looked like Japanese Samurai armor.

She swallowed, a blood adoption then – and not one of the one's done today. No from the looks of it this was a complete transformation, erasing any trait, and trace of his original parentage. Closing her eyes she vowed to find the proper spell and set it in her young son – so that all that was left was for his new family to add their blood. She wouldn't allow either of the other two visions to come to pass.

As she got out of bed to visit their extensive library she had to wonder – where was she in her child's future?

~~~***~~~

Lily was exhausted by the time she found what she was looking for in a ancient text entitled cruor alica , venenum quod ritus which meant blood spells, potions and rituals. She'd been searching the family library for nearly 3 days when she'd finally thought to check the ancient Latin Spell book that Severus had secretly gifted her with upon their graduation from Hogwarts school of Whichcraft and Wizardry. It had only taken another hour to find the spell she needed in the 1546 page long, leather bound, parchment tome. But at least she now had the answers she sought.

The spell itself was called the _Verus Cruor Adoption _or the True Blood Adoption. It was a long and complicated spell, requiring both ritual spell casting and an excruciatingly complicated potion. She sighed – a potion that complicated was beyond her abilities. Particularly not when the potion, called for the individual brewing and eventual combining of several other potions, with an elixir made from phoenix tears, unicorn hair, and Demon's blood. There was no way she could brew this by herself – even if she was given a century.

She had a feeling her time was running thin.

However she knew a potions master who should be more then capable of brewing such a complicated potion and would likely relish the challenge.

~~~***~~~

Severus Snape potions master and spy of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry looked up from the startlingly puke green potion he was currently stirring at the sound of his Floo activating. Lily Evens – as he always thought of his childhood friend - stepped lightly into the room.

"did you get it?" he asked, giving the concoction three more clockwise stirs.

In answer she held up a small brown paper bag.

Severus grimaced not really wanting to think about how his long time friend had gotten her hands on one of the items in that bag. The hairs she'd likely pulled from James's brush, the blood could be spelled into a vile with a quick charm but the man's seed – that must have taken a bit of work. The potion called for the release of the child from the bounds and ties of his original kin into the hands of his new family. In order to do that parental ties had to be severed.

Lily had already given some of her blood and hairs, and that particular potion sat in stasis on one of his counters. Now all they had to do was create the potion that would sever the boy's ties to his father and his line. Carefully he added the blood hairs and semen, stirring slowly until the potion turned a light pink.

That done he turned to his carbonate and liberated a small glass vile, carefully he tipped the required three drops of Nicolas Potter's blood into the caldron and watched as a small puff of smoke rose from the softly simmering masterpiece.

That done he looked up at lily, "the potion will be done Friday evening. Bring your son then, and we will finish this."

The woman nodded tears streaming unchecked down her cheeks. He longed to comfort her, but refrained – it wasn't his place. James was her mate not him.

~~~***~~~

Lily smiled down at her 6 month old baby boy. It would all be over in a few minutes. She glanced over at her friend Severus was currently using chalk to draw out the ruins for the ritual, on his office floor. She blinked back her tears and reminded herself that this was for the best.

After a few minutes he was done and she carefully placed her child into the center of the runic circle. Stepping back and taking up her place outside the circle she began the spell.

_Vegrandis parvulus_ (small child)

_lux lucis of meus pectus pectoris_ (light of my heart)

_in periculosus nos eo_ (Into danger we travel)

_A locus EGO cannot servo_ (A place I cannot protect)

_Absentis EGO transporto vos_ (Away I send you)

_Trans mitis ventus_ (Across gentle winds)

_Sedo aequora_ (Calm waters)

_Alcedonia silva_ (Tranquil forests )

_Ut safetyâ€s ianua_ (To safety's door)

_May vos teneo gaudium_ (May you know happiness)

_Salus quod diligo_ (safety and love)

_Permissum nostrum ties iam exsisto districtus_ (Let our ties now be severed)

_In totus tamen monumentum_ (In all but memories)

_May unus quisnam mos servo vos_ (May the one who will protect you)

_Effundo cruor_ (Shed blood)

_Spill cruor_ (Spill blood)

_Ut servo vos tutus_ (To keep you safe)

_Exsisto remuneror_ (Be rewarded )

_Per ties of propinquus_ (By ties of kinship )

_Quondam Sundered_ (Once Sundered)

_Ex iam in infinitio_ (From now into eternity)

_May vos ingredior_(May you walk)

_Per alius nomen_ (With another name)

Tear streamed down her cheeks as she finished the spell and drew a silver blade across her palm letting her blood fall onto the ruin etched stone. Across from her Severus –who was standing in for James- tipped the vile he held until the blood fell to the floor with a hiss like water hitting white hot stone.

There was a flash of light and for one second her world spun with a vision of the future.

She saw an enormous white dog and a smaller but still huge, green eyed, puppy.

~~~***~~~

Lily gathered her son in her arms content in the knowledge that whatever happened at least he would be safe and bid her childhood friend farewell. A quick spell had taken care of the mess there ritual had created, and now despite her longing to stay and catch up – Albus, had requested that she and James come to the castle with their children.

~~~***~~~

A.N I own nothing


	2. Chapter 2

Severus Snape stumbled into the headmaster's office just as Lilly and James had finished their meeting with the man. As usual James greeted him with a contemptuous sneer and a childish mispronunciation of his name. Severus did his best to ignore him, while attempting to keep his dinner down. He made eye contact with Lilly and was deeply worried by the fear and sorrow he saw in her eyes.

He resolved to secretly owl Lilly once he was free.

"Severus my boy," Dumbledore, said as soon as Lilly, James and their two small sons had left the office. "What do you have to report?"

Severus sighed, "The Dark Lord is truly insane." He replied "He's decided to recruit Demons to his side of the war."

Albus stroked his long silver beard, "The chances of Demon's allying themselves with any wizard are slim. Our two races coexist because we have to but the ministry's experiments two centuries ago, drove a permanent wedge between our two worlds. Voldermort has nothing to offer the four Demon lords, without their approval the lesser demons will not break bread with him."

For once Severus took Albus up on his offer of tea – that he knew was laced with a calming potion – he actually needed it this time.

After a time spent quietly discussing the possibilities, of just what Voldermort might be considering offering the Demons in return for their allegiance Albus turned the conversation over to a question that Severus –personally – found to be just as harrowing.

The Headmaster, wanted him to come to the castle to teach.

"Albus for the last time I don't even like children." He replied exasperated.

After a few minutes of arguing- or rather him arguing Dumbledore's increasingly logical reasons for him to become the school's next potions master, he rose from his chair and left the room somehow feeling as though fate would soon draw him into a teaching position he didn't want.

~~~***~~~

Lilly Potter sighed as she gazed out the window of her home at Godric's hollow. They'd been trapped her under charms for several months, tomorrow was Halloween, and she was beginning to get a rather bad case of cabin fever. To make matters worse she wasn't completely sure about James and Sirius's decision to use Peter as their secret keeper.

It was true James trusted peter but there was just something about the man that put her on edge. But a person's animagus form was said to represent their personality. That Peter was a rat, didn't sit well with her.

She'd just put the twins down for bed and settled herself down in the living room with her husband to read when the wards went off. She rose to her feet in alarm, her book forgotten. Beside her James was on his feet wand in hand.

The door was blasted off its hinges before either of them could react. Upstairs their children were screaming at the top of their ample lungs.

"Lilly take the children and run!" James yelled, as he engaged Voldermort.

Lilly didn't have time to think about the fact that her husband was currently engaging in a life or death struggle with her world's most notorious serial killer, she had to get upstairs to the nursery and get her children away from here.

A thud from down stairs and footsteps coming up the stairs heralded the end of the match. And the slow steady pace of the person coming up the stairs didn't bode well for James.

She was franticly gathering the baby bag and had just grabbed the emergency portkey when the nursery door was blasted inwards. The portkey flew out of her hands and to the floor thanks to a well placed spell from Voldermort's wand. With no chance of escape left she drew her own wand and prepared for a fight, putting herself between her boys and the mad man in the nursery doorway.

She would use force if she had to, but for now she would try begging.

"Please! Not my children!" she begged. "please have a heart, spear my babies."

"Get out of my way foolish woman," Voldermort sneered raising his wand.

Lily took a deep breath and raised her wand, preparing to do the unthinkable, fight a mad man for her children.

Voldermort made a derisive noise and raised his own wand, and snapped a spell Lilly didn't recognize.

Lilly staggered and slipped into a coma, falling to the floor with a dull thud.

Voldermort gazed down at the two children gazing up at him from out of their cradle. "so one of you is the child destined to kill me? You are nothing but pathetic halfbloods soiling your night wrappings. Good by Potters." With that he raised his wand and cast the killing curse at the silent twin.

To his utter surprise the small child was bathed in a red light, and his spell rebounded. The blast from the spell rebounding buckled the roof and a small hot piece of previously burning wood fell to the ground striking Nicolas on the forehead on the way down and leaving him with a small star shaped burn mark.

~~~***~~~

Albus Dumbledore arrived at Godric's Hollow with a full half of the Order of Phoenix. They charged inside and found James, stunned in the entry way. Albus knelt beside his favorite student and carefully woke him.

James groaned as he rejoined the land of the living. "Albus?" he asked weakly.

"James, my boy where are Lilly and the Children?" Albus asked, as he helped the young man to his feet.

James paled, "aren't they with you? I made an emergency portkey that should have put them just outside the gates of Hogwarts." Terrified for his wife and children James bolted up the stairs as he spoke.

They found lily, laying comatose, between her sons and the smoldering remains of Lord Voldermort.

Albus left James to see to his wife and approached the twins in their cradle. He gazed down at the twins and faltered with surprise. Both boys where marked- Nicolas with a rapidly darkening black scar and Harry with a small lightning bolt.

How could that be? The prophecy had specified only one child. After a moment he made a decision, Nicolas was wide awake and watching them through tears. Harry on the other hand was sound asleep.

Obviously Nicolas was the boy who lived, Harry must have simply been cut by falling debris.

He lifted the boy up out of the crib and went over to James.

"She won't wake." James said quietly, tears running down his cheeks.

"we will take her to saint Mungos" Albus said quietly. Then added sadly, "Nicolas is the boy who lived, James you need to start thinking about his future."

James whipped his eyes and looked up at his mentor, "Harry?" he asked.

Albus smiled, "alive, and unharmed but for a small cut, and still asleep."

At that James visibly relaxed.

~~~***~~~

James Potter sat quietly by his wife's bedside, it was early January, and Lily had yet to wake. Albus was trying to convince him to give Harry to an orphanage, claiming that taking care of twins when he would soon have to start training the lad to defeat Voldermort would be too much for the now single parent.

He just couldn't do it.

After all what would Lily say when she awoke to discover that he only had the one son – the famous son?

He had to admit the press time was fun, as was all the attention he got for being the father of the Boy who lived. His attentiveness to his comatose wife had wizarding Brittan's witches swooning over him. He was getting lodes and lodes of fan mail from women who wanted nothing more then to give him more children.

He loved his wife he really did but it was getting harder and harder to stay faithful.

A man had needs after all.

~~~***~~~

James Potter sighed, as he checked to make absolutely sure he had everything – again. He looked around, saddened by the group of people milling about waiting for the international Portkey. He needed some time away. His children were approaching the two year mark and the last several months without his wife had been hard.

Actually it had been hell.

He missed Lily.

Sadly he was beginning to believe Albus. He had so little time for anything beyond work and his baby boys right now that he had absolutely no idea how he was going to give Nick and Harry the attention they deserved when he started training Nick. Albus kept telling him that Harry was bound to feel neglected and would eventually grow jealous and then possibly become a danger to his twin.

James couldn't take that.

After all wasn't Nick his top priority?

He was after all the famous hero of the Wizarding world.

What was he thinking? Harry was his son to.

This was to be their last outing together, until the boys went to Hogwarts. When they came back from their vacation in Japan he was leaving Harry with Petunia. The woman was Lily's sister and Harry's aunt, she'd take care of him surely? He'd leave a note with the boy and pay the woman a small fee for her troubles.

He'd thought about giving the boy over to his godfathers, but honestly Sirius and Remus would be far to busy with Nick to care about Harry.

No this was for the best.

One of the attendants securing him and his children to the Portkey brought him out of his thoughts and he braced himself as the world spun.

~~~***~~~

James was breathing heavily by the time he managed to get his twin boys and himself up the numerous steps to the Higurashi shrine in Tokyo. Shortly after their arrival in Japan, he'd left the magical tour group he was with, having grown weary of the continual attempts by people he didn't know to have their pictures taken Holding the boy who lived. Actually it was Harry's reaction he'd grown weary of, the boy just couldn't seem to grasp the fact that he was irrelevant.

Wizarding Britton would get along just fine without him. Nick on the other hand had enjoyed the attention; his twin was already starting to want. Little Harry just couldn't understand that little Nick deserved to be carried up the long staircase to see the shrine; he was after all a hero. Harry was nobody, what had he done for his world? No the boy should be grateful James had made sure he kept up; after all what had he done for his world?

James – noticing the odd looks he was getting from the muggle tourists – reached down and grabbed the boy's hand. Sighing to himself, he decided it would be easier to join the muggles on their tour of the shrine.

~~~***~~~

He gazed up at the 'god tree' with Nick in his arms, harry had wondered off somewhere about an hour ago. Not that he cared what the little leach got into. He smiled quietly as he listened to the stories the old man told about that tree and it's ability to span times. He had to admit to being a bit perturbed about the stories the man told of demons, and the forest that had once surrounded the shrine. He had to admit an entire shrine being built around a well and a tree was fascinating. And all because the muggles believed that the Well and the tree had the power to protect them from the demons who inhabited the forests.

Idly he wondered what it would have been like to live in a time when demons still openly walked the earth, and preyed upon humans both muggle and magical.

He snorted, if he ever saw a demon he might be tempted to give them the boy as a snack.

Less than 10 minutes later, he found himself standing in front of a well that radiated magical energy. He stood their utterly fascinated listening to the man speak of the well's power to purify evil, and rid the world of demons and evil spirits. When they left the small well house to head for the gift shop James lingered holding Nick securely in his arms as he read the small sign beside it, and examined the runes hidden from muggle eyes. This well reminded him of the veil of souls in the department of ministries. However there was something distinctly different about it.

Shrugging to himself he carried Nick back out of the well house and into the gift shop where he bought his little hero a fake jewel of some sort.

Now where in the world had the boy gotten off to? He better not be embarrassing him!

A chorus of cooing noises and an "ah how cute, I wonder where his parents are," drew his attention to the lawn.

He walked through the gaggle of cooing women and picked up the wayward boy. Noticing the small green snake - Harry was hissing back and forth with - with a certain knowing dread.

A Parselmouth?

No potter in all of history had had such a dark gift!

He wouldn't allow it!

No, not in his house hold.

The little wretch couldn't be allowed to threaten his precious Nick. No tonight under cover of darkness, he'd come back to the well, and be rid of the evil boy.

If Lily ever asked, he'd tell her the boy had been killed in Voldermort's attack.

Sirius and Remus would understand.

He had to protect Nick.

The wizarding world would soon forget he'd had a twin anyway.


	3. Chapter 3

James Potter called quietly for one of his house elves, and waited for Tizzy to appear. Technically Tizzy was Lily's elf. He'd been rather startled when his wife, who'd found the concept of House elf servitude appalling - had brought one home from Nocturn ally. He'd soon learned of her pregnancy and of the fact that she'd acquired the elf for their sons.

Sighing he looked down at the scroll occupying his desk. He didn't think this was relevant, after all in a few short hours the well would do its job and ride the world of another evil slitherin. But still it was best to officially disown Harry now, rather than post mortem, it would look better. Besides this way no body claiming to be Harry could access the vaults that where rightfully Nicolas's. it was better this way, Nick should have been heir to begin with.

Nick was the boy who lived

If not for twenty minutes, Nick would have been heir to begin with. Deftly he signed his name at the bottom of the page. Technically Lily had to sign the form as well. However she was in a coma, and by the time She awoke, if she ever did Harry would be dead.

He handed the scroll over to Tizzy when she appeared with orders to take it to the department of pureblood family affairs. He watched quietly as the elf popped out of the room. Watching the small boy playing with a tissue in the corner of the room he began to have doubts. What if the boy wasn't really a parselmouth?

What if he'd just been mimicking the sounds the snake was making? Or playing at talking to the snake? He could remember pretending to be able to speak knuzzle, as a little boy. What if Harry had just been doing the same?

He was still going to give the child away, but maybe he didn't have to die.

Walking over to the boy, he drew his wand and cast a spell. Smiling as the snake materialized in front of the boy. Silver Mamba's where notoriously temperamental magical venomous snakes. Taking a few steps back, he waited.

~~~***~~~

'_where am I?' _

Harry looked up at the question and found himself staring into the eyes of a beautiful snake.

'_I no know where were we are.' _Harry replied calmly.

The snake reared up and cocked its head to the side, small leathery wings flicking open and closed in a sign of agitation. _'hello speaker.' _

'_whass a speaker?' Harry asked._

'_you are young one.' _The snake replied_, 'a speaker is one who has the gift of speech. Our kinds can converse. when we were born, mother told us that should we meets a speaker we should binds our self to them. Familiar's right, Familiar's promise. I am Sylvana, hatchling I am yours.' Sylvanna paused and turning her head, grabbed hold of one glistening silver scale and pulled it free. Turning back to the child she dropped it at his feet. 'you are too young to summon me and I am too young to follow with magic; should we get separated, you can summon through that scale as soon as you are able.'_

Harry looked up as his father took a step forward. Sylvanna, flung all four feet of herself between him and his father rearing up so that a full foot of her body was off the ground she flattened out her neck into a mock hood and hissed threateningly at the man._ 'if you try to hurt what is mine I wills kill you.' _

~~~***~~~

Sylvanna gazed up at the huge two-legger towering over her and her young familiar, she could taste his malice on the air. He would harm her boy, she could tell. She had to take him out before he got the chance, but she was only one very young snake, as an adult she would be huge, a full 18 feet long, with enough venom to drop a basilisk or a full grown demon. But for now she was small and her venom sacks were fare from fully developed and she lacked the strength in her wings to do more than glide.

Still she would do what she could to protect her boy.

She advanced on the man, dropping her lower jaw to reveal the midnight black inside that marked her as the most deadly magical snake alive.

He drew his stick and there was a spark of light, before a feeling like being sucked through a very narrow fissure in a rock, and then she was back in the tree she'd been in before this all started. The only evidence that what she had just experienced was real was the scale missing from between her wings. To other's of her kind it marked her as belonging to a speaker. When she shed next that scale would come in black. She snorted, blowing air out of her nares and slithered forward for her next meal, when the time came her speaker would call her, or she would go to him. The one thing that made her sorry was the knowledge that her boy would die eons before she.

It didn't matter she would follow his speaker through his life and when he died she would guard his grave.

~~~***~~

James Potter gazed down at his son with disgust and hatred. The boy who was so innocently playing with a bit of silver scale, had set a very venomous snake on him!

The worthless little dark wizard.

It didn't matter he would be rid of the boy tonight.

He could keep the damned scale he was so determinedly holding on to. It wasn't like he wanted Nickolas playing with the disgusting thing.

~~~***~~~

**James apperated just outside of the well house on the ****Higurashi shrine. He'd called Tizzy to look after Nick, he didn't want any of the boy's tainted magic rubbing off on his precious, famous, Nickolas. ** **It was a miracle little Nick had survived long enough to be born, let alone to save their world when he'd had to share a womb with this dark creature. It was a good thing he'd caught this now otherwise he would have been fostering the cobra in his son's crib! ** **Great Merlin, he'd given the boy the food and clothing that should have been Nicolas's. ** **The good for nothing little freeloader!** **Ugh he couldn't believe the boy's nerve** **He consoled himself with the fact that this would all soon be over. Carefully he slipped into the well house. Once inside he threw the boy violently into the well, if the magic of the well didn't kill him, the fall would.** **He turned his back to the well when it flared blue, and walked away content that the magic he felt rolling off the well had handled the 'clean up'. Once he was outside he apperated. **

Quietly, he dismissed Tizzy, and went to check on Nickolas, the boy was sleeping soundly. Idly he thought about the young woman who'd been working at the shrine. The one with the baby in her arms and the 4 year old playing at her heels, maybe he could get to know her.

He could feel some odd form of power coming from her. It was nothing like the power he felt coming from Lily, or any other witch or wizard. It was more subtle, more like a water trickling form a slowly melting icicle.

Yes he would get to know the woman, and her children.

~~~***~~~

Harry opened his eyes when he was deposited gently on the floor of a dark space. Rain fell in sheets around him, but it ran off, to the side of his face. A block of splintered wood diverting the water's path, diverting it to the side to keep it out of his face and preventing him from drowning. he was cold, wet and alone, yet he did not cry. No one came to him when he cried.

Not since the nice lady.

~~~***~~~

She was hungry, and he could smell a human a young one.

Alone by the smell of it

Alone, and young enough to be an easy meal

Moving forward with a weasel's natural stealth, she followed the scent street to the child in question. Idly she wondered why the human's had abandoned this son. It didn't matter, the loss of one human, would feed her for the day. She hesitated at finding the boy at the bottom of the bone eaters well, but hunger and the promise of an easy meal, made her stupid. She dove into the well snatched the child up in her Jaws and scrambled back up out of the well. She should have just eaten the child there, but she wanted to take her time over this kill. Human's this young where not tough or gammy at all. They where a delicacy her kind was rarely able to catch, the baby's themselves where not the problem, it was the adults that where the problem. They guarded the little dumplings quite jealously.

That in mind she set off with the squirming, muddy, thing in her mouth; headed for a nearby small forest glade, with a small pound that she could wash her meal in.

~~~***~~~

She washed her meal with a swift attention to detail, that ran just deep enough to ensure she wouldn't have to choke down any mud. That done she picked up her meal almost gentally in her jaws and scampered up a tree. The child, unlike the ones she was used to, seemed more amused by all of her preperations then anything, if his giggling and constant chatter was anything to go by. Apperantly the child thought she was a 'puppy'.

She snorted, set the boy down, liking her lips she leaned in, but just as she was about to take the first bight, another scent drifted past her nose, another human child was out in the woods alone. This one was older and female – but that didn't matter. She would still make a fine meal. The two of them together would feed her for a few days at least.

She was a bit concerned about the heavy scent of dog demon that clung to the child, but it didn't matter the dog's hunting mishap was her gain.

She shifted slightly preparing to launch herself at the unsuspecting child, but her slight movement dislodged the boy from his resting place. She watched with mild annoyance as the child fell to his death out of her claimed tree. Eating him while his blood still flowed would have been best but she was fine with scrambled brains.

To her utter astonishment the boy didn't die – he bounced!

And kept right on bouncing until he came to rest at the feet of a small girl in a silk kimono, the girl stooped and scooped the child into her arms, softly asking the small child where he'd came from.

Cursing softly at the prospect of losing both potential meals entirely she lunged for her soon to be kills.

The girl screamed and used her own body to shield the smaller form in her arms. She only had a split second to contemplate the best way to eat the two when –

The dog demon appeared out of nowhere!

~~~***~~~

Sesshomaru watched as Rin ran and played ahead of him. He was content that his scent covering her own would at the very least make any other demon in the area pause, it was well known that he had taken in a human child. He silently marveled at how peaceful the world had become since the defeat of that idiot Spider demon Naraku. He would never admit how much he enjoyed the piece, but it gave him more time to wander his territory and look after his ward. He hated to admit it but he'd come to see that little girl as his own pup.

He snorted InuYokai, like wolf Demons and other canine types had a set mate. A single mate that they would spend their entire lives with. He had yet to find his, and the council were pressuring him for an heir. Every time he returned home to the western palace, he was accosted by his own advisors, all of whom where currently throwing their own daughters at him. They kept reminding him –rather repetitively -that it would be a great honor on their families for him to simply sire an heir on one of their daughters.

Even if he didn't take one of them for his mate.

The idea was repugnant!

Loathed though he was to admit it, he wanted his mate. He had plenty of concubines, and he took great care not to give any of them the honor. For now he was content to simply raise his human pup. He often wished there was a way that he could turn her into a demon. Human's lived such short lives in comparison to demons, Rin was already eleven, and soon she would become a woman. Human woman bleed once a month he knew that much, but he had no idea how to handle this.

Loathed as he was to admit it he may have to go see Inuyasha's human friend Songo, and see if the slayer would be willing to explain things to his daughter.

Idly he wondered how Inuyasha, Kouga, and little Shippo where doing now that his little brother had married into the wolf clan and taken his fox child with him.

Fish he decided would make a good meal for Rin, quietly he called her over and sent her off to pull some wild vegetables for her lunch while he caught the fish from the river.

He'd just caught a rather large fish when the scent of a weasel demon caught his attention, it was coming from the direction Rin had wandered. He rose, abandoning his kill in favor checking on his ward. He'd just reached the small clearing when Rin screamed, doing exactly what he'd told her never to do, she turned her back on the advancing demon and protected, whatever was in her arms. Silently he cursed his decision to remove his armor, and weapons before fishing.

He didn't stop to think he had to protect the pup.

He lunged and flung himself between Rin and the weasel demon.

His only thought as the other demon's claws ripped into his flesh was of protecting his human pup.

He snarled and lashed out with his own claws, -tearing bleeding furrows across the weasel's throat. Blood, both his own and the weasel's flew in all directions. He turned immediately at the odd power rolling off of Rin and whatever she was protecting. And found himself gazing down at two small dog demon pups.

He approached them cautiously, scenting the air but all he could determine from their scents was that they where his. He buried his nose in Rin's hair instintivly. Her scent declared her as still being Rin, but it also declared her to be his pup and a full blooded demon. Carefully he sniffed at what was probably a almost 2 year old pup, his scent was different, but still declared him to be Sesshomaru's blood, his pup, his heir, and a full demon just like Rin now was.

Utterly bewildered he sat down, to stunned to stand. Carefully Rin settled herself down in front of him and he found himself the subject of scrutiny from two sets of eyes. Rin's where a dark golden brown, closer to amber then his own Golden, the boy pup's however where a startling shade of green, highlighted with his own gold.

Gathering his control and dignity around him like a cloak, he advanced towards the now dead weasel demon. It was time his pups had their first taste of warm bloody meat. After they where all fed, he would take his pups home to the western palace so that the boy's feeding could be suplimented with milk. Demon's aged similarly to human's until they reached the age of 11 when they simply started growing at a much slower pace.

He needed to name the boy.

___Hyōrimaru_– he would call the boy Hyorimaru, it meant Ice Ring, and was a reference to the full moon. He found it appropriate considering the fact that the boy's markings where identical to his own but in an ice blue.


	4. Chapter 4

Lord Sesshomaru felt his lips twitch in a suppressed smile as he watched his 5 winters old son spar with a boy a good 2 decades his senior. It was a far cry from a fair fight, and yet his son was holding his own. The boy skipped backwards, light on the balls of his feet. The waterfall of his shimmering, silvery white hair formed a halo around his body as he moved. However Hyorimaru was still just a little puppy and he had yet to learn how to control the muscles that worked his tail. He skipped back again nimbly avoiding the 'killing' thrust of Kenji's practice blade, but as his foot hit the floor lightly he stepped down on the furry appendage all Inu-Yukai had to learn to deal with, and went down with a yelp his small feet tangled in his long fluffy tail.

He suppressed the urge to sigh, had this been a real battle his son would likely be dead thanks to his moment of clumsyness. As it was the match was over with Kenji as the winner. Sesshomaru made a mental note to spend some time with his son, working on hopping backward. He was pleased by the soft murmering he could hear about the future strength of his heir. Although the soft comment of one of the guards about Kenji possibly just being a very weak boy annoyed him. However his annoyance did not match the anger that was written all over Young Kenji's face.

The boy lunged, raising his practice blade and swinging at Hyorimaru who had only just gotten his feet untangled. The pup rolled to the side, and flung out his hand in a futile attempt to block the blade.

A green light shot from the pupp's outstretched fingertips, flashing off his claws and streaking forward before striking Kenji in the chest. The other pup was thrown off his feet and went flying through the air, tumbling end over end until he crashed into the floor in a motionless heap, his black eyes staring.

Daiki, the boy's teacher carefully knelt down beside the still form and checked for a pulse. "He's alive my lords, just unconscious."

Sesshomaru, glanced over at Kenji's prone form and then walked sedately over to his young son, the boy had climbed to his feet and was watching with wide green eyes. "Come," was all he said to the boy before leading his son away. Carefully appearing to ignore the quietly chattering crowd of onlookers, it was best that they saw the potential strength of their future leader now.

Hyorimaru, quietly fell into step behind him. As they walked Sesshomaru contemplated his son's power, it reminded him a bit of his own energy whip, he'd been 60 the first time he'd used it and at the time all it had done was stung his opponent, now years later it was a well honed and deadly weapon. If Hyorimaru could knock someone out with his already, there was no doubt that the weapon would be a lethal one with a bit more training.

A Yukai's power depended on his spirit, the stronger the fighting spirit the stronger the Yukai.

Sliding open the door to his private study, he noted with both pride and mild alarm that his son allowed him to enter first before scurrying in after him, flinching as he slid the door shut. Sesshomaru couldn't help it, he growled, not even trying to suppress the rage that bubbled up in his chest. If he ever caught the scent of the man who's sent had been wrapped around his pup like a smothering malicious blanket the day they'd first met – he would rend the idiot human to ribbons and then proceed to dangle him before the Lady of the Panther tribe to be used as a cat toy!

Sesshomaru suppressed the urge to groan, when he looked upon his son – three years and Yet whenever the boy thought he'd done something wrong he could visibly see Hyorimaru bracing himself for a blow.

He was going to enjoy ripping that human into ribbons.

No better to use the man to teach his son the tricks of the hunt.

With a suppressed sigh he reached out and gently took the small boy's chin between his thumb and index fingers, mindful of his deadly claws and carefully lifted the boy's chin. "what is it pup?" he inquired.

Hyorimaru met his eyes briefly, and then answered softly. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to hurt Kenji."

Now Sesshomaru did groan – his son was far too timid. "You are a demon, and a strong one. Fighting is in our nature, just as it is in our nature to take on our true form. You have done nothing wrong, it is Kenji's fault he is injured. You are stronger than him even at this age, yet he attacked you anyway. Out of pride – he got what he deserved. I am proud of you; I was nearly 60 before I was able to manifest energy. You will do well in the years to come my son."

~~~***~~~

Hyorimaru crept quietly forward, intending to pounce on Shippo's fluffy tail. The fox kit had come over to visit along with his Uncles Koga and Inuyasha and their three other pups. He suppressed the urge to giggle at the thought of Inuyasha and his normally composed father getting into a shouting match that had ended in an all out brawl.

Or rather Inuyasha had shouted and Sesshomaru stood there calmly insulting his little brother's intelligence, using really big words and highly florid language before Inuyasha snapped and attacked.

Koga had rather wisely, stayed out of it.

He pushed the thought out of his mind and focused on his target – Shippo's slightly twitching tail. It only took a second for him to determine the path of the other boy's tail, then he pounced.

~~~***~~~

Shippo yelped at the unexpected weight that landed on his tail, he spun around, lips pulled back in a snarl, his fangs bared – and came face to face with Hyorimaru, Lord Sesshomaru's young son. Unfortunately the fire he'd called to his hands just before the pup pounced, shot from his hands thanks to his alarm, enveloping the smaller pup in blue flames.

The pup shrieked in terror and batted at his silk clothing for a moment before pausing and shaking himself vigorously. The illusion vanished just like that.

For a moment Shippo was to stunned to move, the boy was very young only 8 years old. He shouldn't have been able to tell it was only an illusion let alone dispel it. there where adult demons who couldn't tell the difference between fox illusions and the real thing.

The boy, cocked his head to the side, in a way that made him look even more puppyish, before demanding "Teach me to do that."

Shippo suppressed the urge to laugh at the intense look on the pup's face, his green eyes shown with a fiercely keen intelligence. After a second shippo sighed, he didn't quite know how to break this to the young pup. "it's called foxfire, I don't know if a dog can master it."

The look in those eerie green eyes was sharply calculating and determined. "My father says that a demon can learn to do a wide variety of things and the only limit in the things we can conquer is our own mind. Teach me, I will learn."

Shippo sighed, "All right I'll try."

~~~***~~~

Hyorimaru growled in his sleep and rolled over. In his dreams he was still troubled by memories he gave little thought to during the daylight hours. During the day his time was occupied by his studies and by playing with his older sister, pouncing on his father's tail, or learning to hunt with his father and his sister. He'd made his first kill this morning, a nice juicy deer. He was proud of that kill, and his father was having one of the servants make the pelt into a rug for his room.

He shot up in bed wide awake and highly annoyed. As a demon, he didn't have the luxury of forgetting. As such he remembered his life before he'd become the Heir to the Western land. He remembered little things that no human would ever remember like the scent of the red eyed man who had destroyed his happy family. He remembered Nick who had always been his father's favorite. But mostly he remembered how his life had changed after the snake man came. He remembered every detail of that man's treatment of him after the death of his mother.

Shivering he drew his blankets more closely about his shoulders and glared into the darkness, his vision allowing him to see through the darkness like it was noon. He remembered James setting a fire in the hearth with his long slim stick.

Growling in annoyance Hyorimaru climbed out of bed and began to pace. James the man who had once been his sire didn't deserve him, but the man had had the ability to do many suprissing things with his stick. He could start fires make things float and a whole lot more. However he needed that weird stick and a command to make it work.

He would be better, he would learn to fuse the odd gift that the man, Nick and he shared, and he would learn to do it without the use of either his voice or one of those damned sticks.

Pausing in his pacing he made his decision.

It only took him a moment to dress and make his way down to the dojo on silent feet.

Now to set one of the practice dummies alight.

~~~***~~~

Sirius Sighed as he watched his godson. He loved Nick and had held his tongue on his current opinion of James for the boy. However the boy was beyond spoilt. If there was something he wanted, he got it it was simply that simple.

Sirius had to confess he often wondered just how Nick had ever managed to be the boy who lived. He rarely showed any signs of magic unless he wasn't getting his way. It was a sad state; the boy was after all 9.

Harry would be 9 now as well.

He thought of his other godson every day and had actually endured a 2 year separation from Nick when James had first come home From Japan without Harry. He'd even braved Demon territory when the point me spell told him a magical signature similar to Harry's could be found there. However on closer inspection of the aura, he'd discovered that it belonged to a demon.

He still spent a month or two out of every year searching for the boy, praying that he would come home to them alive.

In Two Years time Nick would be going to Hogwarts, and Merlin willing, an owl would find Harry as well and then he could reintroduce the twins to each other.

He had no illusions – he knew that Harry like Nick himself wouldn't remember he'd even had a twin. But he would be damned before he let the boy go off alone to whatever Orphanage James had dumped him in after he'd found him again. As soon as Harry came to Hogwarts he would have the boy transferred to his care.

Harry Would be a Black.

~~~***~~~

Minerva McGonagall smiled to herself as she signed the Hagwarts letters going out for the next school year. This Year Nickolas Potter the boy who lived, was coming to Hogwarts. He was sure to be a Gryffindor, just as he was sure to have his father's mischievous spirit. It was only a shame that Young Harry hadn't survived. It would have been great to see the twin born sons of her favorite student pass through the halls of the school. Idly she wondered how much of Lily would have been preserved in her surviving Child. She knew that the boys had both strongly resembled James with only the color of their eyes being different, but how much of lily would have survived in the personality of a child who'd lost her so young.

She smiled as she noticed the name Potter flash before her indicating that that was the surname on the invitation she was currently signing. It was done then Nickolas's invitation would be on it's way soon. But the name didn't change when she signed the next invitation and she hastily grabbed the last one to have a look.

_**Potter, Nickolas **_

_**The second Largest Bedroom**_

_**Potter Manor **_was the address on the first.

The second was addressed :

_**Hyorimaru (Potter) **_

_**The heir's chambers **_

_**Western Palace, Japan**_

For a moment she simply sat their stunned beyond sense then she shot to her feet carefully cradling the two letters in her hand she throw a handful of floo powder onto the fire and stepped through calling Headmaster's office as she went.

~~~***~~~

A.N. Sorry this took so long. Hyorimaru is pronounced (He-or-E –mar-oo)**, **please review next chap should be up soon.


	5. Chapter 5

Hyorimaru heir to the western demon territories sat quietly in his office going over some paperwork with _Sylvanna's nearly 17 foot length coiled around his shoulders. The silver scale she'd given him over 500 years ago had been set into his arm guard. She had been his constant companion for many, many years, she was his friend and his ally and she had killed in his defense a time or two though the time when he'd needed such protection was long past. _

_The soft sound of an owl's wings alerted him to his visitor long before the bird had even swept through his window. He glanced up at the sound of claws digging into the wood of the ornamental perch he had set up for just this occasion. _

"_Hello owl," he said by way of greeting. The bird shifted nervously from foot to foot on the perch. She didn't like him – most animals didn't – they all recognized him for what he was a powerful and very deadly predator. This owl however had little to fear from him, he was well fed. He wasn't hungry, and even if his diet consisted largely of raw meat the owl wasn't anything more than a snack. He rose gracefully to his feet and made his way to the bird's side. With one claw he slit the string holding the familiar letter to the bird's leg and set it aside. _

_He reached over and picked up the letter of acceptance he'd penned as soon as he realized the date, July 31__st__ exactly 11 years after his human 'birth'. Deftly, he tied his reply to the bird's leg and sent it off, mindful of his claws. Then he took the still sealed Hogwarts letter and made his way through the halls of the palace and over to his father's study. He knocked once on the doorframe and waited for his father's permission to enter. _

"_It came." He said, holding up the letter with an indifferent air. _

_~~~***~~~_

_Sesshomaru glanced up at his son, the boy was an exact copy of his grandfather except for his green eyes and his markings which were identical to Sesshomaru's own but in an icy shade of blue. Hyorimaru was now about 500 years old although he physically only looked to be about 18. "Did you send them your reply?"_

"_I thanked them for their invitation to attend their 'prestigious school of magic' and assured them that 'Hyorimaru would be on the train on the first of September, but also assured them that we had no need of a magical guild to come and escort him to diagon Ally, so that he can procure his school supplies. All that is left is to go down the well and collect myself. After all I have no need to repeat the training I had as a small pup of 11." _

"_Then go and collect the pup, my son, and remind him that even as a puppy he is a part of this clan and under our protection." Sesshomaru told the boy mildly. _

"_Hyorimaru," he added as the boy left his office "I am proud of you, my son. Remember your biggest obstacle in the past will be me."_

_The boy smiled, nothing more than a slight upturning of his lips "You have trained me well father, and we both know that as I am now I am a match for you as you were then."_

"_Be gone impudent pup, before I decide you are not worth keeping." Sesshomaru replied with an eloquent flick of his wrist. He smiled after the pup had bowed and left his office. Gone was the timid puppy he'd known so long ago, the warrior who stood before him was calm, confident and every inch a prince. If he was honest with himself Hyorimaru was probably a match for him now, not just the him from the past. _

_He was fiercely proud of his pup._

_Feeling more pride in the boy's various accomplishments then he ever had in his own._

_Like the time 10 years ago, when Hyorimaru had sent all of the dark lord's envoys barring one back to him in a doggy bag, sending the lone survivor back with a blatant message that while worthy of his rash uncle Inuyasha; it still made Sesshomaru proud. _

_The look on the dark lord's face when his minion came back and told him that the Inu youkai didn't negotiate with food, must have been priceless. _

_~~~***~~~_

_Hyorimaru sighed as he gazed at his reflection in the full length mirror that adorned one corner of his bedchambers. Idly he wondered if he should bother changing his clothing, currently he was wearing soft doe skin boots and expensive, beautifully embroidered silks. His kimono and hakama pants, even his underclothing was pure silk. He glanced over at his wardrobe with its many silk outfits and three expensive suits and two different tuxedos. _

_He wore the suits on the few occasions that required him to attend meetings in the compactly of rich young Corporate prince. Unlike wizards who had squirreled themselves away, and had basically no contact with muggle society, Hyorimaru had long ago convinced his father of the importance of having a paw in every aspect of modern life. Inuyasha's tails of a future were demons no longer existed had helped immensely. _

_There for in a world where the demon's quietly owned almost everything, the bulk of demon owned companies and products belonged to his clan. They hadn't been content to simply silently control the muggle world, no he and his father had their paws in the magical world as well. They owned land, vaults, companies, titles and huge stalks in potion supplies, and a whole bunch of things that could only be found in nocturne ally. _

_For a moment he simply glared at the uncomfortable suits before deciding to go as he was currently dressed. It was more likely his father would listen to him that way. After all Sesshomaru never had had much in the way of respect for muggles – and it had taken him nearly a century to warm up to the concept of wizards. _

He picked up his familiar and carefully draped her across his shoulders. She coiled herself around him careful to avoid his windpipe or anywere else that would hamper him in a fight. Once she was in position he carefully wrapped his tail around his waist and up over his shoulder in a passable impression of his father's way of carrying his tail.

Smirking to himself at the mental image of the look on his father's face when he showed up in the past, he left his rooms with the letter tucked into his belt obi* and headed out into the palace courtyard. He stood there under the fragrant cherry blossoms and considered his options. He could apperate to the shrine with its well or he could simply use his demonic powers to transport himself there. Snorting in mild disdain, he pulled up his demonic power and allowed himself to shed his physical form until he was nothing more than a ball of greenish light, and streaked off across all of Japan towards what had once been Edo, but was now called Tokyo and the Shrine. After all who wanted to feel like they were being forced through a straw?

~~~***~~~

Severus sat quietly in his potions lab. He had to admit he was confused. Lily's spell should have stripped her son of all of his ties to her and James. So why had the bastards last name shown up on Hyorimaru's letter? He sighed and went to his bookcase pulling out the book Lily had left in his care and flipped it open to read the notes.

He surfaced an hour later.

So the only way it would show James's last name like it had was if the boy's adoptive family had no last name. that made sense – yet it also made no sense at all. Who wouldn't have a last name? there were only a few he could think of Centaurs tended to use 'Son of' rather than a last name. Giants didn't use surnames at all, in fact their names tended to be no longer then two syllables in general. Not to mention the ties of family meant next to nothing to an adult giant.

But where did that leave them?

So Lily's younger son had become some sort of magical creature? But what type of creature was he? Obviously it had to be Japanese, or some form of magical hybrid. This could be interesting. Most Japanese magical creatures were less then benevolent towards humans of any breed – actually most of them were more likely to see a lost child as a food idem rather then something to be cared for.

He sighed the only thing he could think of was a Japanese demon, there were a few recorded cases throughout history of Demon's taking in humans, but they were few and far between. And they tended to be a lone demon who while very young wound up becoming more of a watch dog (watch cat in both cases) to an entire village. There was also a few odd cases of a Honyou protecting humans but the majority of them had been raised by human mothers.

What did that mean for the boy?

~~~***~~~

Kagome sighed as she sat in her backyard; she'd just been dragged through the private hell of being a 'muggle' at a wizard's birthday party. Of course Nicolas had gotten his Hogwarts letter today - she was worried. Nick was about to leave for school, and James was going with him to teach. Apparently he was going to assist the aging professor of his favorite subject. He would take the younger students and she the elder until she either retired or became headmistress. Her stepfather was a loving man, but the bulk of his affection was directed at his son Nicolas, and their youngest sibling Victoria. She and Sota tended to take a backseat to those two, and there was little her mother could do about it. Not when James was already trying to arrange a marriage for Victoria as soon as she was of age.

He'd answered her mother's arguments against this by enrolling Victoria in a magical prep-school until she was of an age to attend Hogwarts. Nicolas had also been enrolled, but unlike Victoria he'd came home at night. They currently saw Victoria every week end. They had no way of getting to her if James left them, and so her mother was silent for fear of losing her youngest child. But what would it mean now that James himself would be in England?

Kagome rubbed at her temples, she was 13 she should be annoyed by her 7yr old little sister running around mimicking her – not worrying that she would never see her again! A streak of greenish light fading into the well house followed by a blue flash caught and held her attention just long enough for James to sneak up on her. "you should be inside, showing your support and love to your brother. He is the boy who lived-"

"and without him all of us muggles would be dead or enslaved at the hands of the darklord I know. I just wanted some fresh air."

James she had noticed had only just managed not to slap her.

~~~***~~~

"I know I can manage the change if you would only guild me through it, father." Hyorimaru said plaintively.

It was the 7th time inside of the last week that his 11 year old son had made the request and Sesshomaru was beginning to resign himself to the inevitable. He was going to have to let the pup try and fail before he would believe he could not as of yet take on his true form. His own father had done the same to him so many centuries ago, but still he didn't want to see the inevitable sulky look of defeat upon his own pup's face. He'd delt with it with Hyorimaru's elder sister only last year when she had tried and failed to take her true demon form. Somehow he just knew seeing the putout look on Hyorimaru's face would be worse.

Finally he took his son away from the watching eyes of the palace's general population so that he and he alone would be the only one to witness the pup's humiliation. "picture yourself a Dog." He said simply. "Your sense of smell is stronger then it has ever been, you can separate each and every scent down to it's finest particles so that you can tell exactly what plants a rabbit has been eating by the offal left behind in its passing." He ignored the boy's affronted cry of '_eww gross' _and continued on undetured_. _"Your eyes can betray you. You must learn to think with your nose. The claws on your hands and feet are longer, stronger; your fingers and toes become short paws, each cushioned by thick pads. You must learn to feel the soil benith your pads and read it like a human with a map. Be wary of things that may get stuck between your pads and irritate the tender webbing between the toes. Your fangs are larger and stronger firmly rooted in your muzzle, which is strong enough to bite a cow in half. Your body is strong and lean; your coat is long and luxurious but not too thick, summer will be upon us soon." He paused waiting and watching as his pup scrunched his eyes shut and tried to picture everything he'd said. "Now, let yourself go. You are free of this world, free of bonds of mortality. Your Youkai knows its truest form, give it lead to become that. You are a wild thing, a dog demon which no man can control and with no allegiance but to your pack, your alpha, your kin."

He smiled sadly knowing that this would only end in disappointment for the pup, but it was a milestone none the less if he could only catch a glimpse of his full demon senses. Once he had achieved the full transformation his senses would never again be so limited by his humanoid form. He just had two obtain the delicate balance and learn to give up the intoxicating power of his true form or he would be foprever stuck somewhere in-between nothing more than a blood-thirsty killing machine with no mind and no heart – nothing left of sanity.

However to his utter shock the air around his pup turned green swirling with energy and before he had quite grasped the situation he was standing in front of an enormous puppy. He –like all of his line before him was almost completely white, his markings showed through his fur, and his still floppy ears where tipped in silver. At the moment he was nothing more than a very large ball of fluff. He was nowhere near steddy on paws that were far too large for his body. His head came already to Sesshomaru's chest. In utter shock he reached out to touch his pup, only to pull back as the pup snarled and snapped at him raising his head in a howl, calling franticly for its parents.

Streaks of multi colored light appeared from every direction, settling on the floor and resolving themselves into the soldiers who were out on patrol anywhere within 200 miles of the palace. A pup had howled his distress away from the safety of any of the dens and they had all answered. One and all stood in silent surprise, gazing out at the fluff ball that would one day be their lord. Sesshomaru sighed and gave up his humanoid form in order to better comfort and lead his way to powerful puppy back into his other form.

~~~***~~~

A full five hours later Sesshomaru walked back to the palace under guard, cradling his exhausted pup in his arms. He listened quietly to the murmur of his men as they spoke with pride of how powerful Hyorimaru was becoming. He was their beloved, kind and gentle prince and they all looked forward to seeing the demon he would become. Already those old enough to remember where comparing him to the grandfather he had never had a chance to know.

It was a good comparison.

They were almost home when a streak of radiant blue green light touched down and resolved itself into an enormous white Akita. It was identical to Hyorimaru in all ways including scent – save one – this dog was as old as Sesshomaru himself. There wasn't a single strand of puppy fur left in that luxurious coat.

Sesshomaru didn't stop to think he handed his son to Kouga and InuYasha(who had also come at the sound of his son's earlier howl) and took his own demon form he would defend his son with his last breath if he had to!

But he was so confused; his nose told him this was his son.


	6. Chapter 6

Sesshomaru pulled his Yuki to him as he stepped forward to meet this new threat to his son. The dog may have looked like his son and even smelled like him to some extent but there were key differences. Firstly this dog demon smelled strongly of magic and the strange odor of a deadly serpent hung about him mingling oddly with his own scent and the alluring musky perfume of a female panther demon. Secondly his son was still just a very small puppy, and his scent lacked the heady perfume that announced a dangerous and adult dog demon in his prime. This demon's scent on the other hand was cloaked in the somewhat heady aroma of testosterone that announced his masculinity and his status as a powerful Alpha male, with far more distinction then the large testacies tucked between his hind legs.

Oddly his scent proclaimed him to be part Of Sesshomaru's own kin and clan.

_Pack _his scent screamed to Sesshomaru's inner demon.

Without giving any further thought to the young male standing a few hundred yards from him beyond the necessity of protecting his still small puppy he sought and shifted into his own true form. He ignored the differences between himself and the young male; they were few and far between. Mostly they were in scent, but he did have a very slight advantage in bulk, while the younger male tended to be more lathe, and a little longer in the leg. Also Sesshomaru knew from experience that in a literal dog fight his unfortunately floppy ears – which where a legacy from his mother's family – would be a disadvantage. The young male's more traditional short pointed and erect ears, would give him an advantage.

Sesshomaru growled a combination of a warning and a challenge - Informing the invading young male in the ancient tongue of their race, that he would not accept his presence in his territory. Certainly not with a puppy as young and defenseless as his son.

The young male simply let his tongue lull out of his mouth in a canine laugh. Then he yawned, displaying sharp teeth in a non threatening manner. However he kept his head high and his glowing blood red backed green eyes locked with Sesshomaru's own, in a clear challenge.

Refusing to back down even a step, his tail was held high, he took a single defiant step forward. "I have as much right to walk these forests as you do, Sesshomaru son of Inutaishu. I am Hyorimaru, son of Sesshomaru, and I have come back to ensure the past is preserved."

"I am not feeling particularly magnanimous this day boy, leave my territory or support your claim in combat." Sesshomaru growled, it was his last warning, and he hackled from ruff to rump in preparation for the fight to come.

The young male who was claiming to be his son, set his hackles up as well before replying. "If it is your wish to dance to the fang and claw then that is your choice, but it is a shame to engage in deforestation when the forest we stand in is so lush and green."

Sesshomaru snarled pinned his ears back and sprang at the other male. The boy growled pinning back his own ears and dodged nimbly to the side. Turning he reached for Sesshomaru's throat with snapping jaws, and came away with a mouth full of the thick fur at his throat but no flesh. Sesshomaru wrenched himself away returning the assault with snapping jaws. The boy nimbly evaded him, and all he ended up with was a few strands of silvery white fur trapped between his fangs. The younger dog twisted around and lunged for him they grappled teeth flashing as they attempted to rip each other apart in a savaged dance of death that shook the forest, crushing boulders down to mere pebbles as they tumbled and rolled springing up to the air they grappled again using the very tops of trees to spring and leap from. They met half way in a clash of flashing fangs and claws. Back legs scrabbling at each other's bellies in an attempt to disembowel, they rolled across the sky – and sprang apart again. Leaving vicious bite wounds and deep scratches in each other's hides as a souvenir of their encounter, thick droplets of blood ran down Sesshomaru's muzzle from where the younger dog had gotten in a particularly vicious swipe of his claws.

He'd torn out a rather large swath of fur from the other male's shoulder but that was it, the rest of his swipes and bites had torn away fur and dug scratched the surface of his hide but he had yet to draw blood.

The boy was tough he'd give him that.

They sprang at each other again connecting in the middle of their arch, he was lucky and he knew it he hit the younger male with just enough force that his extra bulk won out over the boy's smaller frame, toppling him backwards, and sending them both crashing to the forest floor below, leaving a path of crushed topped and mangled trees in their wake.

The younger male writhed beneath him searching for a weakness as he tried desperately to reclaim the air that had been knocked from his lunges on impact with the ground.

To Sesshomaru's astonishment he managed to reverse their positions not one but twice as they rolled jaws snapping for each other's exposed throats. Red lights flashed from the other dog's claws stinging his hide with needle like pricks. More distracting then dangerous, however the air reeked of magic with each new trick of light the boy threw at him.

He got the impression that the boy could have seriously injured him with his magic wrapped in his Youkai as it was, despite the fact that a demon's coat and hide deflected all forms of magic save those cast by the most powerful of sorcerers. The powers of the Mekos notwithstanding, unless they pierced your flesh first, magic was usually useless against a demon.

Sesshomaru couldn't help wondering where he'd learned magic, and how he'd learned to wrap it up in his youkai to make it work against another fully grown demon.

Finally enraged, he flipped the younger male one last time managing to wedge his back between to large bulders that jetted up out of the ground so that the only way the boy could get back up would be to pull his shoulders free, ripping open flesh in the process – particularly in the spot where he'd already ripped out the boy's fur.

Now for the blow that would send the boy running home to his dam, he drew in a deep breath and expelled it along with a sickly green poison gas, into the boy's face.

Just as he opened his own Jaws however he saw the boy opening his, a red light gathering into a ball in his jaws before it was expelled outwards in a blast of red light.

Their two attacks met in the air between them and exploded with enough force to send Sesshomaru hurtling through the air to land in a heap a few hundred yards away.

It also dissolved the rocks on either side of the younger male freeing him from his confinement of rocks. The boy rolled and climbed to his feet, hacking from the poison he'd inhaled.

Slowly Sesshomaru rose to his own four paws. Shaking from the effort, he lunged for the other male, they grappled, tumbling and rolling, bighting and clawing in a most undignified fashion while his guard looked on in surprise. They sprang apart again both winded, both tired but both refusing to give up. Both with the taste of the other's blood in his mouth.

Blood ran from the other male's shoulder from a bite wound that tore open the hide and ripped dangerously into the muscle beneath.

Sesshomaru should have felt victorious, the other male was wounded and had wounded in return, it had been years since he'd had a challenge of this standing. However he was confused the blood in his mouth, was far too familiar. He could taste the genetic markers that branded this young male his son. Confirming and solidifying his claim to be from the future.

It was confusing; he'd have to speak with his little brother about this. Of all their Clan only Inuyasha had any experience with time travel and time travelers.

The other male stepped forward prepared to fight and die if he had to – his body language declared that much.

"Come, you have proven yourself to me – I will consult my clan for knowledge of time travel." Sesshomaru began, he had meant to conclude the fight their but he never got the chance to. Before he could finish speaking Hyorimaru his voice still high and unbroken rang out across the battle field. A sickly green light struck the other male in the shoulder, and sank into muscle left unprotected by fur or hide. The young male was thrown sideways, with a look of shock on his face.

DDKWDDKWDDKW

Hyorimaru watched the fight between his father and the other male with a growing sense of dread. What if this male killed his father? His father was already hurt. However so was the other male; Now the two stood a few hundred yards apart, staring at each other.

His father had begun to speak, he needed to do something. He had to help his father. Suddenly he remembered the red-haired woman standing in front of the cradle he and Nickolas had shared back in the days when he'd been human and _that man _had still loved him two. He remembered the scary man in the black cloak and the silver mask, he remembered the words to the spell he had sent at him and his twin and he remembered the malice and the intent behind them.

Scrunching up his features he extended his arm, pointed two clawed fingers at the man and repeated the two words that had upended his happy life so many years ago.

"Avada kedavra!"

DDKWDDKWDDKW

Hyorimaru cursed as the killing curse struck his shoulder. He'd forgotten how much that hurt! Magic in and of itself was useless against a Demon, it simply bounced off of their hides and a Dog demon's fur shed magic like a crocodile's hide shed water. Actually if this version of his lord father hadn't already torn a hole in his fur and hide – all the killing cures would have done was stung like hell!

He'd endured it several times throughout the course of his long immortal life.

The force of the untrained spell sent him tumbling end over end, slamming his back into an old tree with enough force that it shattered under the force, wood chips flying in all directions. The world spun, and his ears rang for a few minutes. He shook his head, and realized in a moment of paralyzing horror that he'd been thrown over the cliff-face and into the open air. He yelped and scrabbled for the cliff with his claws, swearing as he realized his left forepaw was refusing to work. Pins and needles swam across his foreleg form armpit to paw.

He couldn't support his weight on the nearly vertical surface. He dug in with his claws desperate to find some new two hold. Cursing as he struggled for leaving Sylvana somewhere safe for this encounter. he was just about to call out for his familiar and force himself into his humanoid form, when a massive head descended over the side of the cliff.

His father had him by the scruff and was hulling him up.

He set his claws into the rock and did his best to help.

DDKWDDKWDDKW

Sesshomaru gazed down at the young man standing in front of him. The boy had shifted back into his more human appearance after he'd been dragged back up and over the precipice. So far he was ignoring his badly wounded arm. He claimed that it would be fine in a day or so and that the only reason his younger self had been able to do that much damage was because, 1 it was his own magic and youkai being used against him; and 2 because he had hit the open wound on his shoulder.

Sesshomaru refrained from sighing; the boy's words rang true. He was indeed his only son come back from the future to see to it that Hyorimaru actually received his letter to a school for witchcraft called Hogwarts of all things. With a sweeping gesture he motioned for them to return to the western palace.

DDKWDDKW

"He needs to be trained," Hyorimaru said referring to his younger self – who was currently asleep in another room.

Sesshomaru snorted, "He will be trained, and we have trained you well so far."

"He makes things happen, when he's angry, or scared, or feeling any emotion, surly that is reason enough to send the boy off to a school that will teach him control." Hyorimaru countered, refraining from glancing around his father's familiar office to take in the small changes that had occurred over the centuries.

"That makes no difference. You are here now. Why do you not teach him to be a wizard, if you saw we cannot teach him to suppress this human impurity?" Sesshomaru retorted.

Hyorimaru couldn't help it he snarled as he replied. "I am a wizard, the death of Harry James Potter, and the rebirth of Hyorimaru son of Sesshomaru has done nothing to change that fact. However that makes me no less an Inudyouki. The strengths of both species are combined within me. That is why my magic works on demons. My magical core is twined irreparably with my Youkai. As for why I do not train myself, I am good at certain aspects of wizardry and proficient in the application of others. Just as you are a master swordsman who taught me the art, but got a tutor to teach me to use a bow – you are an adequate shot father. However you yourself have said that teaching me yourself would have been folly you would have taught me a little and I would have learned a little less." Hyorimaru repeated the words Sesshomaru had spoken to his younger self just days ago, before adding. "let me be trained by masters in the weapon that is magic, Father, that my learning a little less then they have to teach is no handicap."

Sesshomaru sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I see your point my son, but you are still a mere puppy as yet. Only 11, surely that is too young."

Hyorimaru sighed at least here was progress. "It will only be for 7 years father, and he will have you and me both to look after him in the future. He will still be with you on holidays. What he learns about the future, while he is there will serve to make the entire clan prosper."

DDKWDDKW

James Potter sighed as he Side-along – Apperated his son and Daughter to the apperation point just outside of diagon ally. Today they were going to collect the things his son was going to need for his time at Hogwarts. He needed new everything. He couldn't have the world thinking their savior was anything but well taken care of.

First stop School Robes. He pushed open the door and sneered at the sight of the blonde haired child standing on a stool to be fitted. "Malfoy," he grumbled. _Here to steal his son's thunder and attention no doubt. Well they'd just see about that! _

DDKWDDKW

Hyorimaru sighed as he lightly gripped his younger self's arm and coaxed him into giving up all semblance of a physical form so that they could travel as pure energy. The boy was so young that he was sure this was his first time traveling in such a manor. Actually he remembered it being his first time and he remembered it being distinctly odd. However it was the fastest way for them to find Selvanna in all her adolescent glory, so that the boy could have a companion in Hogwarts. After they found her they would head off to Diagon ally to procure the boy's supplies. He glanced over at his father, and nodded once before setting off.

DDKWDDKW

Hyorimaru looked around and then looked up at his older self it was difficult to grasp the fact that the man standing beside him was literally what he would one day become. They were in a jungle somewhere. "What do I do?" he asked Quietly.

"You have Sylvana's scale, do you not?" his older self replied.

Hyorimaru nodded slowly.

"Then I would suggest you use it to summon your familiar."

"But how do I do that?" he asked.

His older self smiled, revealing long sharp fangs. "Concentrate on Sylvana, and on your need to have her by your side. Consider your need to solidify your bond. She will come."

He scrunched up his eyes and tried it holding the little scale in his claws.

A minute later there was a soft pop, and he opened his eyes to find a 29 inch long, silver snake hovering in front of his face, small wings fluttering to keep her aloft. "Sylvana," he whispered reaching out to the snake. To his shock the snake struck his palm, the poison flowing down his hand to pool in his wrist, leaving a small shimmering winged snake mark on the inside of his wrist.

"_Mine" _Selvanna hissed, _"You are mine now unto the ends of time puppy. I will keep you safe."_

DDKWDDKW

Hyorimaru smiled as he watched his younger self get to know his familiar, and gently stroked the head of the giant winged serpent on his shoulders. _"We have done well and I meant what I said here today yet all those years ago. You are mine now unto the ends of time."_

"_As you wish scaled queen," _he replied, then in Japanese though he could easily have spoken the InuYoukai tongue or even Parseltongue, "Come my younger self we have lots to accomplish before you get on the train in a week."


	7. Chapter 7

Hyorimaru gazed down at the Younger version of himself. "Very well," he said after a second. "When I was at school several of my dorm mates took to calling me Hyori. In an effort to make this a little less confusing you may call me Hyori for now."

Hyorimaru smiled up at Hyori. "my thanks." He replied simply.

Hyori snorted. "I know father has told you this a great many times, that your face gives away too much of what you feel. Learn to mask it pup. A demon gives nothing that his enemies might use against him."

Hyorimaru cocked his head to the side like the curious puppy he currently was. "When did you learn it?" he asked after a second.

"That would be telling, young one." Hyori replied raising one sculpted brow. "Needless to say you will see… eventually." He snorted at the pout on his younger self's face. "Come, it is time we procured your school supplies." That said he offered the boy his hand. His younger self was still too young to travel from Africa back to Japan without help.

Hpiyhpiyhpiy

Kenji glanced up at the flash of light outside his shop door. Demons had come to call, which in and of itself was not unusual in Spirit Avenue. In Japan Demons came and went as they pleased, when they pleased. There were set 'Demon Territories' that Wizards and Muggles alike avoided. But it was not that they were considered second class in Japan's Wizarding society. On the contrary the Youkai themselves had portioned off these massive territories – if you were not of demon blood or in the presence of a demon you were not allowed beyond their borders – on pain of death.

No what startled him was their presence at his shop.

Demons, despite being both powerful and dangerous could not use a wand. Their natural energy simply overpowered the wand's core. Causing them to either disintegrate or explode the first time the demon in question tried to use it.

Before he had the chance to contemplate the oddity of the situation further the elder of the two demons opened his door and gestured for the boy to precede him inside.

Kenji rose to his feet and bowed.

The two simply inclined their heads, an acknowledgement of custom, even if they didn't bow in return.

Kenji studied them for a moment, long silver hair was bound up in a high tail that was held by a leather thong. On the elder it fell in a striking waterfall to his calves. The child's hair on the other hand – while bound in the same style fell only to his thighs. Both where tall and delicately lean, with an effeminate quality to them. They exuded power like a man who hadn't bathed exuded his stench. A slim crescent moon sat in the center of their foreheads resting delicately over eerie killing curse green, slit pupil eyes. Ice blue markings brushed their lids and gave off the look of what on any other species he'd have taken for eye shadow. Twin Ice blue stripes adorned their cheeks the backs of clawed hands. But it was the fluffy white tails draped about them like a fluffy sash, that told him exactly what he was dealing with.

White Akita Youkai.

An extremely dangerous variety of Inuyoukai – one wrong move and they would kill him, without so much as a backwards glance. Their where countless myths and legends dating back as far as Japanese written history could tell, all of which held the Akitas as either benevolent on malevolent but never as an actual friend.

Even the famed InuTaishu had only been benevolent.

"What may I do for you my lords?" He asked slowly.

The elder raised an immaculately sculpted and groomed eyebrow. "Young Hyorimaru has need of his own wand."

The look on the demon's oddly impassive face forbade questions.

HPIYHPIYHPIY

Hyorimaru was becoming impatient. So far he'd tried out several wands only to have them all snatched right back before he could so much as wave the idiotic piece of wood.

HPIYHPIYHPIY

Almost 2 hours and every wand he'd ever made had passed, and Kenji was becoming quite frustrated. Rather abruptly the idea occurred to him. What if it wasn't one of his wands the child needed? There were wands here that predated his great grandfather. However it was rare that a wand would choose a wizard so long after its original making. Most wands found their wizard within the maker's lifetime, but there were a very few that found their match in the years following its maker's death. He had one in the back room collecting dust that was at least a thousand years old.

Excusing himself he quickly went to retrieve it.

He picked it up off of the pedestal it had been resting on and wondered why he hadn't thought of it the moment the two walked through his door. The beautifully carved cherry wood box bore a carved battle scene and above it all a great dog demon ran in the clouds. As a child he had asked his grandfather about the wand and heard the same story of how it had come to be, that had been passed down in his family since its crafting.

The great dog Demon Inutaishu had apparently traumatized his family generations ago by walking into their humble hut and pulling a single hair from his head ordered the wand crafted. He'd come back a few months later to see the finished product, and to inscribe a set of odd ruins upon the wand with his claws, before leaving it in his families care.

The finished product was an eleven and a half inch cherry wood wand with a duel core of Unicorn hair and the single hair the demon had given. It was the most temperamental wand in their humble shop, and had apparently burned the hand of every wizard ever to hold it.

Swallowing his fear of what the dog would do if the slim stick of wood in his hands burned the pup; he presented the box to the boy.

As soon as it touched the boy's hand, a cloud of smoke shaped suspiciously like an Akita shot out of the tip and bowed to the boy. It then disappeared with an eerie howl, leaving behind a white shapeless blob of smoke that shifted and elongated until it seemed to gather weight and sank to the floor, with an odd sound like leather wrapped steel striking the floor.

It solidified to reveal just what it had sounded like – a leather wrapped parcel.

The boy, smirked slipped the wand into the leather arm sheath that came standard with all wands, and tucked the wand up his sleeve before he knelt and unwrapped the odd parcel on the floor carefully.

Looking up at the elder dog he smiled, his young face showing the same delight of any child his apparent age at the discovery of an unexpected gift. "It's a Katana. Like Father's and Uncle Inuyasha's." he observed mildly, gently cradling the cherry wood hilt in one small hand.

The older dog smirked, his hand falling to his hip to caress the identical cherry wood hilt at his hip, like most men would caress a lover. "Read the inscription on the blade." He advised.

The boy brought the sword up in a graceful arch and read, "For my Grandson;" Aloud.

The boy, sheathed the blade and slipped it into his belt, looking like nothing more than a smaller version of the man who stood beside him.

"How much?" the elder asked calmly as if untrained little boy's conjured full length swords out of 13 inch long sticks of wood all the time.

Kenji stunned stupid responded without thinking. The man pulled a feather light never full bank bag out of his Kimono sleeve, and counted out 12 gold coins before exiting with the pup in toe.

Kenji sat heavily upon his stool when the door closed.

"A demon sword." He muttered to himself. "All these years my family had been keeping a demon sword, in the back room and not a one of us knew what we had?" it all seemed like a wild tail.

IYHPIYHPIYHP

Hyorimaru smiled to himself as he followed Hyori into the next shop on their list. Hyori had insisted that he required a good trunk. Hyori stood quietly to the side watching him as he went through the different trunks. After a few minutes the sales associate finally noticed them and made his way over.

"Can I help you find anything?" he asked, carefully not meeting Hyori's gaze. Apparently he had some experience with Dog demons. The four claw marks down his cheek only supported the fact that he'd once made the mistake of looking a dominant dog in the eye.

Hyori gazed at him for a moment, establishing his own dominance before he spoke. "I require a seven compartment trunk. One compartment must be a dojo, another must be a library, and there should also be a potions lab. Beyond that we require that one compartment be a walk in closet. It should be covered in black ray leather and carry the crest of our house. As to the purpose of the other 3 compartments I shall leave that up to you."

The man bowed, "it shall be ready in an hour my lord."

Hyori handed him a paper with the Crest of their house on the front. "See to it that it is." He replied mildly. "Come Hyorimaru, it is time we got the rest of your school supplies."

HPIYHPIYHPIY

Hyorimaru settled himself down across the table from his older self. They'd had a good day, and had gotten all of the supplies he needed for Hogwarts. Tomorrow they would be traveling across the ocean to Brittan, where he would be boarding the Hogwarts express the following day.

He couldn't wait. Hyori had told him some of the things he would see at Hogwarts. Ghosts – seemed interesting, and werewolves. Would they be anything like uncle Kouga? He was after all a wolf demon.

However when he asked Hyori the man nearly choked on his sake.

HPIYHPIYHPIY

Draco Malfoy sighed as he gazed down at all of his new stuff. Out of it all his favorite was his new Hawthorn and dragon heartstring wand. His father had bought him a new black leather wand holster for his arm as an extra gift – students didn't really need a wand holster but Slytherins almost always carried one. His was made of black lamb's skin and was beautifully worked with small snakes.

He'd strapped it to his arm and slipped his wand into it as soon as Mr. Olivander had confirmed what he already knew – the wand had chosen him. He had yet to take it off. It was ten minutes before his bed time and he had yet to take it off.

Clad in his Slytherin Green silk Pajamas he finished packing away the rest of his school supplies and covered the cage containing his new owl, before climbing into bed. He ran a finger over the serpent themed leatherwork of his wand holster and wondered what the coming year would bring.

Earlier when his parents had taken him first to Gringgots and then on into Diagon ally to collect his school supplies; he'd run into the famous Nicolas Potter. Remebering what his father had told him about powerful families requiring powerful Allies – he'd tried to make friends with the other boy while they were being fitted for their Hogwarts robes.

It was a risky move on his part, the Dark Lord was psychotic according to his father – and possibly not as dead as everyone seemed to think. By allying himself to Nicolas, he would have effectively be allying his family to the light should war ever break out again. Or he was effectively severing ties with his own family, because that was all that would spare his family Voldermort's formidable wrath.

Nicolas however had been less then enthusiastic about the prospect of making friends with a 'future snake in the grass'. He'd told him not to talk to him unless he made it into Gryphondor by some unforeseen miracle.

Draco hated to admit it but that had hurt. He consoled himself with the knowledge that there were plenty of Powerful families in the Slytherin house.

With a sigh he closed his eyes wondering who his year mates would be.

HPIYHPIYHPIY

Hyorimaru tugged at a lock of his now black hair, and looked at his now alarmingly Human hands. It was weird, he could feel his claws and if he touched them he could feel his sharp fangs – but he couldn't see them. He hated this, the illusion made him look exactly like he would if he hadn't been adopted by a demon. He looked like James Potter.

He felt like he needed a bath!

He growled at the thought of looking like that Human pig.

"Stop fidgeting." Hyori told him mildly. "This is to protect you until the time comes for it to be taken down. Don't worry – you won't have to put up with it for too long just long enough to misdirect a few people. Then I will take the illusion down. Be mindful of your claws in the meantime."

Hyorimaru sighed and watched quietly as his katana was packed away in the dojo of his trunk. Before the whole thing was shrunk and stuffed into a pocket on Hyori's gi. Then he focused all of his energy inward dissolving into a white light and followed his elder self to the train station and platform 9 ¾.

HPIYHPIYHPIY

James Potter smiled to himself as he bid his son goodbye, and reminded him that he would be seeing him at Hogwarts since he was to teach their this year. He'd told Nicolas about his dead twin earlier in the week. He'd told the boy how he'd taken them both to Japan for a vacation and of how they'd been attacked by deatheaters, who had killed Harry before he could do anything.

He didn't want his son to know his twin had been dark.

"Father?" Nick asked suddenly. "are you sure Harry is dead?"

James sighed, ever since he'd told him Nick had been almost obsessed with finding his twin or at least his body and having him buried with the rest of the family. The boy wanted his twin to be alive and kept having dreams about a silver haired boy. "I saw them carry off his body myself. I'm fairly sure it was Malfoy who took the body. Why do you ask?"

"Because that boy looks just like me." Nick breathed, "His hair is a lot longer but he looks just like me."

James whipped around to follow his son's gaze, and he froze. Rage built in his heart as he beheld the worthless seed of his loins. The boy was standing quietly beside a beautiful man dressed in traditional Japanese armor. His pointed ears and vivid marking proclaimed him to be a demon. James swallowed his rage and quietly told his son to get on the train while he found out.


	8. Chapter 8

Lord Sesshomaru lurked in the shadows of Platform nine and three-quarters, watching his sons. It was odd thinking of his son in the plural but he'd known for five centuries that this day would come. He trusted his son to keep the younger b=version of himself safe. Hyorinmaru was more than a capable warrior, but he wanted to see the younger version of his son off as he had not been able to when the boy was a pup.

He knew both versions of his son were aware of his presence. He didn't like the way the magic that shimmered over his young son tickled his nose. The boy reeked as if he'd been spending far to much time with humans. But the older version of his son had insisted on its use and set the spell himself. He'd also made him swear upon his honor not to kill any of the useless human's on the platform (no mater how annoying they may be) or risk altering the time line for the younger Hyorimaru.

That made things interesting, and he was glad he had enough control to ignore his instincts. He'd made absolutely certain he'd drilled that control into both of his children. Which was good because the human's would not have stood much of a chance with three hunting Yukai on the platform – magic stick or no magic stick.

He couldn't help snorting in disgust as the rank smell of 'human' permeated his nostrils. It was true the odor of wizards didn't offend him nearly as much as the common muggle's odiferous stench, and they didn't scream 'prey' quite as blatantly – at least not scent wise -but still they where annoying in their prolific nature. He longed to lash out with his claws and knock some sense into the sobbing, bouncing, and or tittering children and their idiotically coddling dams. A demon would never be so degraded as to give in to such a display of co-dependent weakness. Particularly not in public – his father had always told him 'a coddled pup was a dead pup.' In public when another demon might see affection as weakness and kill the pup to get at the parents this was particularly true.

The youngest of the children currently running amok, with a few exceptions, were the age of his young pup. However as humans they had taken the first steps into puberty one of many towards full adulthood. His pup on the other hand was barely at an age to be out of the nursery. It was true he had never coddled either of his two pups. But still he would rather his son be well within the protection of the pack, then going out into the world long before his milk teeth had even been lost.

His tail twitched in aggravation.

Thankfully Hyorimaru had the sense to hold himself as was befitting his race and to comport himself with dignity.

As was only fitting in his heir.

The boy looked around himself with his green-gold demon eyes glittering out of a disturbingly human face, and he suppressed the urge to growl at the infuriating cession to caution.

He felt his fur stand on end in a tangible display of his annoyance. He never had much liked Kagome, though he tolerated her for Rin's sake when his female pup had still been human. He wanted nothing more than to lash out at the man now curtly examining his son. Hyorimaru's only response to this scrutiny was to stiffen slightly. Hyori's tail twitched and the young man's fur hackled, beyond that they faced the mortal with demonic decorum and more than a hint of indifference.

Sesshomaru reminded himself that he'd given his son (the one from this time) his word that he wouldn't execute this human. However he couldn't help the small smile that graced his lips when he felt the older version of his son flare his Yukai ever so slightly, in warning to the human standing in front of them. It also served to offer the young pup at his side comfort and wordless protection.

The idiotic human didn't seem to recognize the danger he was putting himself in.

The other humans on the platform however backed up a step recognizing just how much of a threat the wrath of an irate Yukai could be.

Sesshomaru resigned himself to waiting – he would let his sons handle themselves as long as the human didn't step out of line.

DDKWDDKWDDKW

Lucius Malfoy lowered his eyes but made no other consention to the abject terror that ran through him at the feeling of the Demonic Aura that permeated the Platform. He glanced over at that pompous idiot James who was still ranting at the small child standing beside the tall demon halfway down the platform.

_Was he too much of an idiot to realize that provoking the protective instincts of a demon was damn near suicidal. That Child had voluntarily moved closer to the Demon when his Demonic aura had flared and the demon had allowed it. It meant that that child had somehow managed to be put under demonic protection. it was rare but it happened. _

"I am no longer under your control." The boy – who looked much like a green eyed, extremely long haired, lean version of James – spoke quietly, however their was an almost lazy dignity to his voice that did nothing to hide the steel in his voice.

James did the unthinkably stupid, raising his hand to backhand the boy, and Luscious briefly wondered how much longer they all had to live.

The attack came not from the man standing by the boy as he had expected but from the side, a whip of pure energy sliced the air slapping the floor between James and the child with an auditable crackling snap. Another Demon slid easily out of the shadows, his eyes glowing a dangerus demonic red.

"Papa?" Draco asked quietly.

Lucious tore his attention away from that idiot James and put himself physically between his son and the confrontation brewing just a little ways away. "don't look up." He whispered, "Do not make eye contact, don't show your fear but do nothing to provoke their attentions."

To his credit Draco did exactly what he was told.

"You are lucky human, for I have sworn not to kill anyone today." The demon said softly, "However if you touch my son again I may forget that oath." He paused and looked down at the boy, "Come Hyorimaru." He said simply and calmly led the way into the train.

"Draco, a demon's adoptive son would be a powerful ally to make, you should try and befriend the boy. Teach him what it is to be a wizard." Lucious said softly.

"Yes father."

DDKWDDKWDDKWDDKW

Sesshomaru gathered his young son into his arms as soon as he closed the door to the empty train car. Hyorimaru was shaking almost violently in his arms. "shh, pup, shh." He whispered, absently noting that the older version of his son had simply leaned casually against the wall. His tail twitched against the floor. "I will not allow that filthy human to hurt you." He told the extremely young pup in his arms. He couldn't help being alarmed Hyorimaru had rarely gotten this riled over anything, even at this age. "Little one?" he enquired softly "what is wrong?"

Hyorimaru looked up at him his green eyes, wide with fear and anxiety. "I am afraid father." The pup replied slowly. "I look in the mirror and I see that man, _James," _the pup spat the name like he would have a dirty word. _"_Like this how am I to remember who I am when all I can see is Harry – the unwanted son? Do I even smell the same?"

"You are my son, a part of this pack and nothing changes that, when you are lost and lonely sing of it to your pack and we will answer, if you are in danger you cannot handle on your own call for us and we will come. You may look different but you are still my son. Your scent remains unchanged beneath that false human stench. Call for us and we will answer."

"We should go father," Hyorimaru said quietly, "the train will leave soon, and my younger self has allies to make." He paused then turned his attention to the younger version of himself and pulled a beautifully carved wooden box out of his kimono sleeve. He walked forward and handed it to the pup. "You will have to hunt on your own until the house elves realize you take your meat raw, however chicken and beef might not be much to your liking." He handed the boy the box. "I packed you a large supply of jerky, and bloodpops. The bloodpops should hold off your need for blood long enough for you to be able to hunt. As for the jerky – it's venison and other smoked game, still try the food at the feast." That said he turned and left. Sesshomaru gazed down at his son for a moment longer and then he too turned and left.

DDKWDDKWDDKWDDKW

Draco glanced into the many train cars looking for an empty car or one that at the very least didn't hold Crebb and Goyle. The two boys had been his friends for years but inbreeding had made their father's a bit dim, and the boys seemed likely to either follow in their footsteps or at least pretend to. He wanted some intelligent conversation but more then that, he wanted time to contemplate the whole Griffondor verses Slytherin thing. Nickolas Potter had told him he had a chance of a friendship with him if he was accepted into Gryffondor house, but he was a slytherin by nature, more cunning them brave, and while it was true their was not much difference between bravery and cunning the differences were still quite fundamental. He glanced into a car and saw Nickolas talking to a red-haired boy and a bushy haired girl. For a moment he considered introducing himself and trying to see if he could make friends, but Nick glanced up and caught his eye briefly before turning his nose up at him.

No it was better to be a Slytherin then to give up himself for that.

He glanced into another car and saw the boy form earlier the one who had been with the demons. He had to admit he was curious, demons were not known for their charity. So one had to wonder how the boy had come to be in their care. The boy had his nose in a book and he briefly wondered if he would be a know-it-all- Ravenclaw. He remembered his father's advice and swallowed his fears.

He knocked slightly on the door frame and waited for the other boy to acknowledge him. "can I sit here?" he asked quietly when the other boy looked up. "Everywhere else is full."

The boy inclined his head, "if you wish," he replied softly, "I am Hyorimaru son of Sesshomaru Lord of the Western territories of Japan. With whom do I have the pleasure of conversing?"

Draco had to fight not to let his jaw drop. He'd expected this boy to be like Nicolas Potter, with an inflated ego and sense of self-worth, however this boy was actually very well cultured and polite.

"I am Draco Malfoy, it is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance." He replied mildly. He glanced down briefly. "I am sorry if I am being intolerably rude, but if you do not mind my asking; how did you come to be raised by Demons?"

Hyorimaru snorted, "I can speak to snakes," he replied softly setting down his book, "James heard me do it when I was just a little pup, and then proceeded to dump me down the Bone-eater's well in Japan. My Father found me soon after. I have lived with him, my sister and my Pack ever since."

DDKWDDDKWDDKWDDKW

They'd been talking for the last few hours when Draco suddenly shrieked. Hyorimaru growled low in his throat at the high pitched noise and refrained from clamping his hands over his ears. "Sylvanna will not hurt you," he assured the other boy instead.

"You are such an insufferable Know-it-all!" a new voice yelled from down the hall. "'I read all about it in Hogwarts a history.' Who cares?"

"Oh leave it Ron, She'll never have any true friends, but at least she can be useful, if she makes it into the right house." Yet another voice said mildly.

Hyorimaru growled, he remembered that voice though it had changed a bit since the last time he heard it. He rose gracefully to his feet. InuYoukai were an interesting race, like all demons they valued strength and power, but they were very much pack driven. It was odd but something in him was screaming at him to protect the nameless girl he could smell on the other side of the door. He knew by her scent that she wasn't his mate, but somehow she might still be pack it made no sense, but he reacted to it. He left the car with Draco at his side.

Nicolas Potter his long lost twin stood beside a red headed boy, both of them teasing a girl with bushy brown hair. "did it never occur to you that baiting a b -" he paused when it occurred to him that a human woman might take offence at being referred to as a 'Bitch', it was the technical term applied to a female Inu-Youkai, Just as the Kitsune referred to their women as Vixens. He'd never given much thought to the term before, but he amended it now. "a woman, will lead to your muzzle getting bit?" he finished mildly, somehow knowing the saying had lost something in translation.

"What are you a dog?" the annoying red-head asked sarcastically.

Hyorimaru cocked his head to the side and deliberately slid between the girl and the two boys. "I was raised by Inu-youkai," he replied simply. Then amended his earlier idiom, "basically don't tempt your luck with women they may be smaller but they are usually more vicious then the males when crossed." He turned his attention to the girl. "I'm sorry this isn't coming out right. Would you like to sit with us? You could tell me a bit about Hogwarts and what you learned in that book."

The girl smiled at him, "I'd like that." She replied and followed him and Draco back into their car.

DDKWDDKWDDKW

A.N I know it's short but here's a question what house should Hermione end up in?


	9. Chapter 9

"So," Hermione inquired after a few minutes. "Do either of you have any idea what house you'll be in? I read about the different houses in _Hogwarts a History, _and I gather that house placement relies on some sort of test."

Hyorimaru looked up from the book he was reading, and glanced at Draco briefly before turning his attention to Hermione. "Hyori, told me that it didn't matter what house I ended up in. My pack will respect my power regardless, but he did remind me that one can always request to be put where they feel they will be most strategically placed."

"Father said he would disown me if I was placed in Hufflepuff," Draco informed them sedately, "I'm not sure he was joking."

"Likely not," Hyorimaru agreed. "Men of power rarely joke on such matters."

Hermione looked scandalized, "That's simply horrid," she gasped. "What loving parent threatens to abandon their child over the house they are placed in?"

Draco blinked, and Hyorimaru raised an eyebrow.

"The pack is only as strong as its alpha," Hyorimaru said gently after a minute. "Uncle Kouga, told me that when, he culled one of the pups born to his pack. The pup was born without his legs, and would never have been able to keep up with the pack, would never have been able to hunt for himself or defend himself if another Yukai broke into the dens. It pained him to do it, but it had to be done."

Hermione looked aghast, "that's barbaric!" she gasped "not to mention inhumane, the poor thing, dogs can live just fine without 2 of their legs. They learn to walk on their front or back legs."*

Hyorimaru gapped at her, and tried to figure out how she'd come up with 'dogs', then he shrugged. "Barbaric it may be, but the pup would never have been able to serve his clan, would never have been able to be a warrior, he would have been dependent upon his pack from the moment of his first breath to the moment of his last, that is not a life any Youkai would want. We are far too proud for that."

Hermione blinked, "What do you mean we?"

Hyorimaru sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, "I am a Youkai, my father and my sister, my pack they are all Youkai. We are too proud to be treated as invalids, Hermione. I would die before I would willingly become a burden to my pack. My uncle InuYasha had to earn his place in the pack because his mother was human and his father died to save him from the fire that swept through his mother's home when he was being born. Because of that my father let the pup live, and he grew to be a strong youkai warrior, a credit to both of his packs."

"You were talking about people?" Hermione screeched.

"Were you under the impression that your people called us demons to be kind?" Hyorimaru enquired, wincing at her shrill tone.

"I'll probably be in Slytherin," Draco said abruptly changing the subject.

Hermione grabbed gratefully at the change in topics and Hyorimaru snorted. "I'm not sure what house I want to be in" she said with an animated air, "Ravenclaw sounds fascinating, and so does Gryffindor, I wouldn't mind being in Slytherin but with all the pureblood propaganda I don't think I'd fit in."

Hyorimaru smirked, "You left out Hufflepuff." He said softly, "known for their loyalty. However that makes them less then important, Ravenclaws on the other hand are known for their intelligence. Strategically to be placed there would allow access to more learning materials. Knowledge is power. However as my Uncle InuYasha proves time and again there is much to be said for instinct and knowledge is not the only path to power." He stopped and scratched his nose delicately with the tip of one claw. "Slytherin and Gryffindor would appear to have the most value strategically."

Draco snorted, "How exactly would Gryffindor house be strategic; It's full of nothing more than morons who charge in without thinking?" He asked in a tone that clearly stated he thought the very idea preposterous.

Hyorimaru offered him a small smile that without the human illusion would have displayed his fangs. "Historically the Gryffindors have been all but thought incapable of wrongdoing. That in and of itself makes the house strategically appealing even if the company does not."

Draco blinked, "Slytherin" he said simply "you are a Slytherin."

HPIYHPIYHPIYHPIYHPIY

Hyorimaru sat regally in the little rickety magic rowboat that was currently carrying Draco, Hermione, a boy named Blaze and himself across the Black Lake to school. He longed to lash out at Hermione who currently had her foot on his tail. But he could not, such a display of weakness over an, at the moment invisible appendage would not be tolerated by his father. To do so would be extremely undignified.

He rolled his shoulders the illusion was annoying, and while it didn't exactly itch… it felt like it should. He despised looking like a human. One might as well ask a cat to pretend to be a mouse. He was a predator and right now he looked like easy prey.

It annoyed him.

He placed his hand on the hilt of his sword which was also hidden by the damned spell, it would remain invisible unless drawn apparently. The small action comforted him, and he relaxed. He was the son of a long and prestigious line of Demons that was not going to stop being true simply because of some magic spell.

Abruptly the castle came into view and Hyorimaru found himself admiring her majestic beauty though he didn't show it openly. Hermione shifted and gazed up at the castle in awe, as did the other two boys in the boat and Hyorimaru took the moment to move his tail so that it was safely in his lap away from the blundering feet that would accidently harm it. His serpent familiar twined herself a little closer around his neck in search of warmth as he gazed up at the castle, trying to mimic his father's unreadable expression.

He couldn't help comparing the castle to his father's. so far he found it a bit wanting.

It was beautiful and looked easy to defend –

But it wasn't home.

There would be no guards to great him.

His sister was far away so he had no one to play with. The statues, carving and paintings would all be of humans rather than the great ones of his pack. There would be no connection between him and this castle, no feeling the demonic aura's of countless generations of his ancestors resonating with his own as he walked these halls.

As he sat their surrounded by water and awestruck humans he realized – he was alone.

For the first time in his life since he'd first become a demon, he was truly alone.

He didn't like the feeling.

The snake hiding under his robes nuzzled his neck with her nose and he relaxed a bit as he realized he was never truly alone. _Sylvanna_ would always be with him and so would his pack.

HPIYHPIYHPIYHPIY

The Great Hall was interesting, and Hermione kept rattling on about how it was charmed and muttering all of the spells she knew under her breath. Idly he wondered why. If she didn't know enough to protect herself from this sorting by now then there was no help for it. He blinked at the sight of a battered hat on a stool and snorted in mild amusement when he was informed of how they were to be sorted.

How very quaint, the thing sang as well.

He did his best to look as if he was tuning out the inane drivel of the singing hat's song. Inwardly he was enjoying the song. But still he forced himself to ignore the interesting bit of fabric and concentrated on mapping out the room, all of its entrances and exits, the rafters hidden by the spell that reflected the night sky, and anything else that might prove important later. He glanced up at the head table and noticed several familiar faces though he could not place them all.

There was his former sire, seated next to an empty chair, the large Hagrid who had shown them to the boats. A man with long black hair, which was slicked through with some sort of oil, memory told him this man had done some sort of ritual he didn't understand with his mother shortly before her death.

Hyorimaru turned his attention back to the sorting when he heard Professor McGonagall call Hermione's name. it didn't take long, the hat had barely touched her head before shouting out 'Ravenclaw'. Hermione hopped off of the stool and replaced the hat before scampering off to join the other Ravenclaws who were giving her a hardy applause. He turned the sorting out again, turning his attention to Nicolas Potter who was currently trying to convince him that it was in his best to convince him that he needed guidance in the Wizarding world.

"You are my twin, and as the twin of The-Boy-Who –Lived, you have a duty to the light. You need to set a proper example for the general population, after all you are my twin."

Hyorimaru resolutely stepped on the urge to Claw the annoying little whelp and tuned him out when the boy started going on about how it was important for him to stick close to Nickolas for his own safety.

"I am –quite - capable of defending myself thank you for your concern." Hyorimaru snarled, finally losing his temper the fourth time Nicolas suggested that he would have to look to the human for safety.

Thankfully Draco's name was called and he was able to ignore Nicolas in favor of Watching Draco aproch the hat in a blatant but not quite successful attempt at regality.

"Slytherin," the hat shouted almost before it had come to rest on the young blonde's head.

Hyorimaru nodded to his friend as the boy walked by. Ignoring Nickolas's muttering about evil Slytherins and about how he knew Draco would turn out to be a mini-deatheater just like his father. It took every ounce of his considerable self control not to slash his claws across the arrogant boy's cheek when the whelp ordered him not to have anything to do with "the mini-deatheater" anymore, Hyorimaru growled deep in his throat at the order unconcerned by the fact that he was currently trying to pass as a human child. The noise was too low for a human to hear anyway.

If Nicolas was in Gryffindor he'd much rather be a Hufflepuff!

"Potter Nicolas" the deputy headmistress called and Hyorimaru found himself watching the proceddings with mild interest.

The boy was sent to Gryffindor just as quickly as Draco had gone to Slytherin. The boy's placement was received with thunderous applause from three of the four houses. Hyorimaru rolled his eyes.

"Potter Hyorimaru," Professor McGonagall called, and the room fell silent before erupting into about as much whispering as they had for Nicolas.

"another Potter?"

"I didn't know the boy who lived had a twin"

"he's probably just a distant cousin."

"He's so lucky to be related to the great Nicolas Potter."

"Do you think Nick would notice me if I befriended his relative?"

Hyorimaru ignored them, and made his way to the front of the room to be sorted. He paused in front of the professor. "Potter is no longer my last name." he said firmly. "I am the son of Sesshomaru. Please Call me Hyorimaru." The student body and professors gasped and whispered about his audacity as he continued on to the stool and placed the hat on his head. A full five minutes later the Hat placed him in Slytherin, after he informed it in no uncertain terms that he would shred it and Nickolas if it placed him in Gryffindor to "help curb his twin's inflated ego."

Only his own housemates applauded as he made his way to the Slytherin table and sat beside Draco.

A few minutes later Blaze was the last snake sorted.

The Headmaster stood up and made a longwinded speech before the feast began.

HPIYHPIYHPIY

A.N sorry this took so long life is interesting at the moment.


	10. Chapter 10

Hyorimaru sighed, as he slowly ate his dinner. He was hungry and human food would not sustain him long, Youkai had an extremely fast metabolism which was why they tended to eat either frequently or in large quantities. It was also why they ate their meat raw, cooking burned off some of the energy meat provided, and while they could eat vegetables, they didn't really need them, and they didn't provide much in the way of sustenance. His father had once told him that humans were something called omnivores, but that demons were true carnivores.

He looked at the food piled high on the plates with something similar to distaste and mild disinterest. He'd never seen so much food at once in his life, and that was saying something if one considered how much a demon could eat in one setting. He gazed across the table at the plates laden with "roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and, for some strange reason, peppermint humbugs"(the book somewhere). He suppressed the urge to growl; there wasn't a damned thing on this table that wasn't cooked to a crisp. He wasn't sure how well cooked meat would go over with his system.

"Hyorimaru," Draco asked him softly setting down his fork and knife. "Why aren't you eating?"

"Yes," one of the older boys seated a little further down the table "Is Hogwart's food not good enough for a relative of the famous boy-who- lived?" he gestured over at the Gryffindor table where Nicolas was indeed making a scene.

With his sensitive Youkai hearing he could hear Nicolas bragging about how his House-elves cooking were better than the Hogwarts' elves; and whining about the food. Hyorimaru snorted and made a mental note to find out exactly what a house-elf was. "No, I have simply found myself in the curious predicament of having never tried any of these foods." He replied mildly. "Forgive me I have yet to make your acquaintance."

"Pucey, Adrian Pucey," The boy replied, "Have you really never seen any of these foods before?"

"To be perfectly honest, no;" Hyorimaru replied mildly, then keeping his voice low enough that only Draco, who was seated right beside him would hear, he added. "I've never eaten cooked meat before."

Draco blinked, "Yes, I suppose that would pose a problem." He replied mildly. "What type of food have you eaten?"

"Mostly game meat," Hyorimaru responded simply. "Venison, rabbit, boar, I've had beef a time or two, but it was … rare."

"Try the roast chicken then," Pucey said mildly, "That should be easiest on your stomach."

Hyorimaru inclined his head. "My thanks."

"You will soon learn that Slytherin House is a family, we take care of our own." Pucey replied.

HPIYHPIYHPIYHPIYHPIY

Severus looked over the assembled first years as the rest of his house began to file off towards there dormitories.

"Slytherins," he called mildly. "As this year we have a celebrity at school this year's start of term meeting will be a bit different." He gestured with his hand for them to come forward.

His snakes complied instantly either pulling up seats of settling themselves cross-legged on the floor. Hyorimaru he noticed chose to sit on the floor like most of the first years, but unlike the other students, he folded his legs under him and sat on his knees, his back strait and his arms relaxed. It further drove home the fact that the boy had been raised in Japan as it was a common way of sitting in Japanese martial arts.

"For those of you who are new to Hogwarts, welcome. Those of you who are not you know the rules, and I expect that none of you will be _caught _breaking them. If you are the consequences will be dire indeed. Should you lose points for your house, you will be doubly in trouble as I will meet any punishment given to you by your other professors with one of my own. Any fights or arguments between you will stay within these walls; we will present a united front to the other houses. As you all know, James Potter is teaching the younger years Transfiguration this year. I have little faith in his ability not to prosecute those who wear the badge of our house. Give him no reason to persecute you.

As for his son, Nicolas Potter is no doubt spoilt and full of his own self importance, as I am sure that his father has taken great pains to spoon feed him, tails of his own legend and importance. Should you have the opportunity to teach the boy the truth of the world." He let that hang.

"Hyorimaru here has the misfortune of being genetically related to them. However it is apparent that Gryffindor foolishness is not always inherited." He paused "Remember loyalty to your house. Dismissed."

HPIYHPIYHPIYHPIY

_Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,__  
__But don't judge on what you see,__  
__I'll eat myself if you can find__  
__A smarter hat than me.__  
__You can keep your bowlers black,__  
__Your top hats sleek and tall,__  
__For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat__  
__And I can top them all.__  
__There's nothing hidden in your head__  
__The Sorting Hat can't see,__  
__So try me on and I will tell you__  
__Where you ought to be.__  
__You might belong in Gryffindor,__  
__Where dwell the brave at heart,__  
__Their daring, nerve and chivalry__  
__Set Gryffindors apart;__  
__You might belong in Hufflepuff,__  
__Where they are just and loyal,__  
__Those patient Hufflepuffs are true__  
__And unafraid of toil;__  
__Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,__  
__If you've a steady mind,__  
__Where those of wit and learning,__  
__Will always find their kind;__  
__Or perhaps in Slytherin__  
__You'll make your real friends,__  
__Those cunning folk use any means__  
__To achieve their ends.__  
__So put me on! Don't be afraid!__  
__And don't get in a flap!__  
__You're in safe hands (though I have none)__  
__For I'm a Thinking Cap!_

Hyorimaru growled and rolled over burying his head in his pillow in an attempt to smother the inane drivel that kept repeating itself over and over in his head. If it didn't stop soon – he was going to shred that hat!

He obviously wasn't getting any sleep tonight. Between the inane tune repeating itself in his mind and the hunger growing at his stomach sleep would be impossible. He might as well hunt… and then explore.

Hyori had given him a list of things that he couldn't hunt in the forest, so at least he wasn't going to accidently eat a unicorn or something equally socially unacceptable, but the forest was full of deer and boar so it shouldn't be to hard to find something to eat.

He pulled on traditional Japanese silk clothing – eventually he'd learn how to hunt in the more restricting 'modern mortal clothing' but for now he wanted freedom of movement. He finished tying his Obi, and pulled on soft boots made from the hide of a demon hare and padded silently out of the room. Slipping out of the common room was easy enough, and he easily followed his own sent up the Great Hall and from their made his way out onto the grounds with a bit of trial and error since he couldn't exactly follow his sent back to the place where the magical row boats had docked – he didn't much fancy a swim.

HPIYHPIYHPIYHPIY

Hyorimaru glanced up from his meal at the sound of a hoof snapping a branch, followed by someone cursing softly. He growled softly and deliberately bit through the rib bone he was holding. Tearing off a chunk of meat sinew and bone; "Come out," he said softly after he swallowed, "I know you're there."

He cocked his head to the side when what looked like a man who was half horse stepped out of the brush. "Please pardon my rudeness but what exactly are you?" he enquired.

The creature looked at him then down at the remains of the Boar at his feet. "Did you bring that down yourself?" he asked notching an arrow in his bow and aiming at him.

Hyorimaru met the creature's gaze calmly, "Yes."

"Bane," a new voice said firmly into the night. "we do not kill foals, even one who appears to eat his meat raw."

Bane turned his head, and addressed the creature walking up beside him, "He killed that boar himself Firenze."

"It is only a half grown piglet." Firenze replied mildly. "it is not as if he went after a member of the herd."

Hyorimaru snorted in annoyance. Why couldn't he eat in peace?

HPIYHPIYHPIYHPIY

Hyorimaru slipped back into the _Slytherin_dormitories around five thirty in the morning and snorted in amused disgust when he realized not a single human was stirring. His entire pack would have been up and dressed by now. With a sigh he made his way up to the first year Dormitories and gathered his toiletries before heading off to the boy's showers.

He couldn't help but feel home sick as he began to prepare himself for the day, Demon's needed little rest compared to humans. At home the palace would already be awash with activity. The pack's warriors would be on the hunt before the sun rose. They'd eat breakfast as a pack the pups eating first then the Alpha pair, then the elders and the heir if said heir was grown, and finally the rest of the pack. While each member of the pack was capable of hunting on their own save the very young and the very old, it was custom that unless a dog's duty prevented it they ate the first meal of the day with the pack.

His father had explained the custom once, Pack ties made them stronger than just a single individual could ever be on their own. Pups ate first to remind the pack of their importance to the future, and where allowed to eat there fill, the Alphas ate next because without strong alpha's the pack could not survive, but they restricted themselves to just a few bites. The elder's were fed next and like the pups they ate their fill to honor them for their knowledge and past service to the pack. The rest of the pack ate last.

In times of hardship the pups and the elders were feed before the warriors with even the alpha going hungry to feed his pack. It was there law and it made them strong.

His father had told him once that long before Rin and his birth, he'd looked down at the ritual and even gone as far as ending it. The pack had fallen into disarray, and it had taken years to rebuild. Apparently Rin was the reason their father had seen the logic in the custom and set about fixing his pack.

He showered and dressed quickly, and settled down on his bed to meditate.

HPIYHPIYHPIYHPIY

Draco awoke to the sound of his dorm mate's stirring. He groaned, and got ready to start his day. He glanced around at the other boys who upon realizing the time had started scurrying around franticly getting ready for the day. He quickly grabbed his toiletries and liked for Hyorimaru among the frantic activity – hoping the other boy was awake. He was shocked to see him sitting on his knees on top of his bed, fully dressed – apparently meditating.

He shook his head and started for the showers at a sedate and dignified pace; Malfoy dignity did not permit scurrying.

HPIYHPIYHPIY

Hyorimaru settled himself down for breakfast with his housemates. He glanced at the food on the table and tried to find something he could eat, not that he was to hungry after the late night dinner he'd had while his dorm-mates slept, but if he had to look human he needed to keep up appearances. That meant eating three meals a day like a human. He finally selected something that he recognized from distant memories as bacon and eggs.

He ate slowly while professor Snape handed out their class schedules, he glanced at it making a mental note of the classes he had and were each class room was located based off of his wandering the night before. He glanced up the owls began to bring in the mail. He had to admit there was a small part of him that wished he could have an owl, but the older version of himself had reminded him that he was a born predator and most owls would not risk bonding to him.

But he had his dear serpent familiar.

Abruptly students started to scream and he looked around in confusion having smelled nothing out of the ordinary. The professors were on their feet and headed for theSlytherin table before he'd fully registered the problem, but when he did he laughed.

"She is the Familiar of the Western Akita Clan's heir." He told them all mildly as the great poisonous serpent folded her silver wings, and coiled her nearly 17 foot length up on the table.

"_Hello _Sylvanna," he hissed, ignoring how odd it felt to address his familiar when she was also coiled around his wrist.

The great serpent inclined her head, light flashing off of her scales; she reached out with her tail and deposited a silk scroll into his hands. _"Hello again little master," _she greeted, _"my master sends his regards, and bids me deliver this for your lord father, and this message. "Chasing your tail gets you nowhere except back were you started, should you chose to give chase, follow the scent trail." _

That said the great snake opened her wing and launched herself into the air. He looked down at the silk scroll and deftly broke his father's seal. He recognized his father's eloquent, vertical script and smiled at the courtesy he'd been extended. His father had many demands on his time – even in this time - that he'd taken the time to write even a short missive to the son who technically was already grown.

_The inferiority of Humans is that they can neither stand alone or together. Remember your superiority. _

He snorted and rolled up the scroll, sliding it into a pocket.

"How can you be my Twin?" Nicolas shouted in denial, "You're nothing but a dark wizard! I can't believe I wanted anything to do with you! You're nothing but a mini death eater!"

Hyorimaru snorted, "How exactly did you come to that conclusion?"

It was Professor Potter who answered his sarcastic question. "You're a Parselmouth." The man replied as if it was obvious. "Everyone knows Parselmouths are evil."

"Mr. Potter!" Exclaimed Professor McGonagall harshly. "That's not something you say in front of impressionable Children!"

Hyorimaru snorted, "Professor Snape, Professor McGonagall may I be excused please?" he enquired ignoring James Potter out right."

Professor Snape inclined his head in assent and Hyorimaru quietly took his leave, trying his best to imitate his father's graceful dismissal of anything he considered to be beneath his dignity. Surly James Potter was beneath even Jaken's dignity.

HPIYHPIYHPIYHPIY

Hyorimaru settled himself down into a chair in the Transfiguration Class room; he was the first student to arrive. It hadn't been too difficult to find the class room after he'd gathered his books for his morning classes. However he supposed he had a bit of an advantage over the other students – he was a demon and the class room smelled strongly of Professor McGonagall and bore Professor Potter's rank stench, though it was fainter.

Professor Potter had yet to arrive but the Cat sitting upon the massive oak desk smelled strongly enough of Professor McGonagall to make him wonder if Wizards could obtain their true form like those of Youkai blood. Students began to trickle in filling the desks slowly until finally when the bell rang every student baring three were in their seats.

Professor Potter wasn't present yet either, which annoyed him he'd never had a truant sensei before. No Youkai sensei would have so disrespectful of his pupils. They waited another five minutes before Nicolas, Ron Weasley, and Seamus Finnigan finally sauntered into the room.

"Good thing this is your father's class," Weasley said mildly as they ambled down the center aisle towards the only three seats left open. "Could you imagine the look on old McGonagall's face if we were late to her class?"

The three boys sniggered as they took their seats and the cat rose gracefully to its feet and leapt from the desk transforming into Professor McGonagall as it went. From behind the great oak desk there was a slight shimmer of movement and Professor Potter appeared holding a strange silk cloak in his hands and Hyorimaru made a mental note to check more closely for the man's scent in the future if the man could just appear out of thin air.

"Five points from Gryffindor for that foolish comment Mr. Weasley." Professor McGonagall retorted sharply.

"Come Now Minerva, Boys will be boys." Professor Potter laughed, "Thank you for the practical demonstration of Self-Transfiguration. That student was the Animagus transformation. We won't get into human transfiguration until your sixth year. Today we will be learning how to turn a matchstick into a needle."

Hyorimaru watched quietly as McGonagall left the room muttering under her breath. He made a mental note to speak with her about this Animagus transformation as soon as he was no longer disguised as a human, maybe she could help him to shrink his true form so that he looked like a mortal dog. There had to be some benefits to being able to pass as a normal dog in this world.

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	11. Chapter 11

Hyorimaru snorted as he flopped down on his bed, after his classes were over for the day. He found he rather dislike Potter as a professor and honestly would rather be taking lessons with Mcgonagall. At least then he might be able to get through one lesson without having to deal with that mewling idiot James Potter. The man's scent made him shake and brought out a hatred and bloodlust he was not entirely comfortable with. There was something about being in his presence that just made his Youki rise to an uncomfortable level, and he was fairly certain his eyes had turned red beneath the illusion that made him look human. He didn't really know why but every time he was in the same room as the man, a quiet voice that sounded suspiciously like a growling dog told him to keep his hackles up. Then there was the fact that James Potter seemed to go out of his way to make him feel less then wanted in his classroom. The damned mortal, had made an effort to learn everyone's name and had called each and every one of his student's by their surname at the very least. But he seemed to go out o his way to ignore him and the few times James had been forced to acknowledge his existence, he had done so either by calling him "you" or with aggravatingly inane gesturing.

Honestly learning Transfiguration from his textbook might be easier than putting up with that aggravating mortal.

And then there was Nickolas, he'd never wanted to claw somebody so badly in his life. Nickolas it would appear had made it his personal business to make his school days a living hell. He already missed his pack, and his sensei back in Japan. He wished there was a demon who could teach him this mortal magic but, 'the time stream had to be protected'. It didn't mean he had to like it.

He suppressed the urge to growl at the thought of some of the things that annoying little … lion had done and called him today. Nickolas had more formal magical training then he did since James 'had been teaching him magic since he was 5'. But Hyorimaru knew he out classed the irritating little runt when it came to raw power if only because he was a demon. He'd been learning 'magic' on his own for years now. As his uncle Inuyasha often proved, 'those who learn without knowing were the limits are, often surpass them without noticing.' His father had put what his uncle often did into words years ago.

His father said that was one of the reason's he'd been able to achieve his true form so young, he hadn't believed he wouldn't be able to. Even now he was the youngest Youkai in history to achieve his true form.

Well Youkai didn't get mad they got even; and they did it with interest and made sure the other party knew better then to mess with them in the future. He had homework to get started, and revenge to orchestrate. Maybe not tonight or tomorrow, but Nickolas Potter was going to get what was coming to him.

Hyorimaru smiled – any member of his pack would have shivered at the expression as it was more a bearing of his fangs than anything else. He put the books he wouldn't need away. So that he only had to carry the ones he actually needed in order to do his homework up to the library. After a moment's thought he added his Charms book to the ones in his book bag. He had an idea for just what he was going to do to his so called brother but it would require a bit of reading and some ingenuity.

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Hyorimaru smirked, as he practiced the wand movements to the spell he needed. He'd learned a long time ago that he could do just about anything if he concentrated hard enough. He figured that out after he'd accidently turned his father's hair and tail fur purple and sparkly. None of the sorcerers who owed their alegance to his father had been able to lift the unintended spell so his father had assigned him to do it. Actually his father had been so annoyed with the brilliant purple he'd been turned that his father had, had him doing little else until he'd learned how to control the 'inane and utterly useless attack lest it do as it was obviously intended and cause his death through humiliation.'

It had taken two weeks – and Sesshomaru had spent one of them an interesting shade of bubblegum pink – but he had finally figured out how to magically turn someone a different color, and thus how to reverse it.

He quickly wrote down the spell just in case he forgot it, and set pen to paper writing down a song that would annoy the hell out of the Potters. It took him half an hour to do it properly as the song had to be inane enough to be aggravating and yet catchy enough that it would be stuck in their heads for hours – if not days.

It wasn't very long but it didn't have to be in order for _the __Canticum__theme_* spell to work. He figured he's set the spell to go off when ever Nickolas walked through a door.

With a smile he closed his books and headed back to the Slytherin dormitory. It would take him a few days to implement his revenge as it would take a bit of spell work that was technically beyond the scope of a first year student – not that a little thing like impossibility had ever stopped him before.

One thing was for sure, Nicolas Potter and the rest of the Baka Gryffindor first year boys would feel his wrath.

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Severus watched his Slytherins carefully as he ate his breakfast, it was the second day of classes and around now was when the novelty of Hogwarts wore off and homesickness began to set in for the younger years. So he watched his students. He snorted in mild amusement when he noticed Lily's son, the boy's plate was empty and he was about to go and lecture the lad on the importance of breakfast when he realized the boy was eating, just he was eating jerky rather than a full English breakfast like the rest of the students. Severus made a mental note to have Poppy sit the boy down to have a chat about proper nutrition. The screech of an owl got his attention and he glanced up as the owls came in to deliver the morning mail.

Like everyone else in the room his eye was drawn to the official looking ministry owl that was carrying a large packet of official looking documents. He groaned wondering what idiotic hoops the ministry wished the staff to go through now. He remembered the absurdity brought on by the ministry's last attempt at interfering at Hogwarts and hoped he wouldn't be sending the ministry grade reports on the student's core classes again, or something equally ridiculous. From the looks on the faces of the rest of the staff – barring that moron Potter – they all agreed with his feelings.

He was rather flabbergasted when the bird headed not for the high table, but for his Slytherins. This did not bode well.

Not at all

Particularly since the owl veered towards the younger years, he closed his eyes and prayed someone had died. He didn't think he could take it if another so called 'light family' disinherited one of his Slytherin first years until 'they proved that their house was not indicative of the path they were going to follow.' His first years were so young and vulnerable and he hated it when any of his students were subjected to this kind of idiotic prejudice.

His heart nearly stopped when the bird landed in front of Lily's son.

He made a mental note to call the child into his office for a talk later this afternoon.

Like the students he couldn't help noticing the bright red letter being carried by one of the owls. It may have been vindictive, but Severus found himself hoping that Potter's damned muggle mistress had sent him a Howler. The only other reason he could think of for the Potter's snowy owl to be delivering a Howler was sitting at the Slytherin table, looking too much like James for Lily's spell to have worked, unless the boy was under an illusion.

He closed his eyes briefly when the bird dropped the already smoking Howler onto Hyorimaru's empty plate.

The boy raised an eyebrow, and Draco leaned over advising him on what to do about the smoking red letter. Before the boy could do whatever it was the other Slytherins could advise, the Howler opened.

_You worthless little monstrosity, _James Potter's voice rang out across the Great Hall._ You were officially disowned the first time I heard you udder that vile evil language. Anything that would willingly talk to a snake is nothing but an evil Slytherin! You should have stayed lost, you worthless piece of horse manure. Unfortunately the ministry would not allow me to disown you completely without the consent of your mother. Seeing as Lily has lain in a coma these ten years past Wizarding law now allows me to fully disinherit and disown you. Seeing as that vile dark creature you call father has also cast you aside I have been forced to endure the embarrassment and shame of having you, however briefly recognized as a member of my family. This ends now; you are no longer my son! The Potter house will tolerate no slimy snakes in its mist and I will not have you contaminating my son. From this moment on you are no longer a Potter, I strip you of your name, title, and all lands and assets that title would provide. You are hereby barred from utilizing any resource available to the sons of my noble house. You are utterly worthless; a blight on the name of wizard and no one will ever want something a disgustingly vile as you._

Severus sat there his mouth hanging open, as Nickolas Potter burst out laughing. "Go dad!" the boy shouted to the amusement of several of his peers. For his part in this humiliating scene Hyorimaru gazed down at the tattered scraps of the red envelope and the letter it used to contain then cast that oddly calm and detached gaze across the Great Hall with its assembled mixture of stunned and jeering students and professors who were – frankly- frozen in horror.

Severus was up and halfway to the Slytherin table before the boy turned and took in his fellow Slytherin students and their expressions of shocked disbelief at James's cruelty. Severus was in just the right spot to see the boy wink at his fellow Slytherins and him whisper, "no one humiliates a member of the Akita clan," before bursting into the most convincing crocodile tears Severus had ever seen.

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Albus sighed; he honestly didn't know what to do with James. If he wanted to disown his son he should have done it in privet. Minerva had taught James's classes today after young miss Granger had gotten out of her chair and refused to be taught by 'anyone who could be so cruel to a child'. The rest of the first year Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs had apparently agreed with her as they had all walked out of the classroom and refused to have anything to do with their Transfiguration lesson until Mcgonagll had been fetched. As for poor Harry … the boy had been inconsolable all day. Severus's classes had been canceled as the boy's head of house he was in the best position to console the child. According to his floo call an hour ago the boy just wanted his father.

Albus was at a loss.

Minerva and Severus where coming to his office for an emergency meeting, along with the other heads of house and Poppy. He needed to decide what to do with James, but first he needed to see to the man's former son.

He sighed the boy would be fine in the morning he was sure.

He looked up as four of the five requested staff members arrived. Oddly enough it was Severus who was late. It was out of character, but honestly not to suppressing considering the circumstances. Severus made his appearance about five minutes later.

"Ah Severus my boy, how is young mister Potter?"

Severus arched an eyebrow. "Lily Evens would be appalled with Potter! As for _her son, _all the boy wants is to see his father."

Albus sighed, "be that as it may, the man has made his feelings toward his son _quite clear."_

"I believe the boy is referring to his adoptive Father Albus." Mcgonagall replied a tad tartly. "I believe the boy said the man's name was Sesshomaru."

Severus looked mildly alarmed. "What is it, my boy?"

"I have heard of Sesshomaru before." Severus replied slowly. "He is a Dog Demon and the Lord of the Western Demon Territories. The Dark Lord sent 15 of his death eaters to recruit the support of him and the other three Demon Lords before the Potter's went into hiding. His son sent 14 of those men back to the dark lord in a gory napsack. Not that I wouldn't enjoy seeing James suffer, but I hate to think of how emotionally traumatized the students are going to be after he retaliates on behalf of his son."

Minerva sighed. "Whatever this Lord Sesshomaru has done in the past the fact remains he is Hyorimaru's father and the only thing we can do for the boy now is send word to him of his son's current emotional state, so that he may come and reassure the boy."

"This is true Minirva, however it may be prudent to send the boy home briefly so that the other children our out of harm's way." Albus replied mildly. "Severus you will take the boy to see his father."

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Hyorimaru let go of the international Portkey to Japan and calmly wiped his eyes with the back of his sleeve before sniffing the Air. "This way professor." He told the obviously uncomfortable human following him and set off for the boundaries of his father's territory.

After about an hour's walk through muggle infested urban sprawl they arrived at what the muggles saw to be nothing more than the ruins of an old temple. To him it looked like a Japanese entrance way standing quite alone in the middle of a forest that stood out in stark contrast to the urban jungle it bordered.

Idly he wondered what the wizard with him saw before dismissing it as inconsequential.

A guard greeted them as they passed the boundary stepping out from behind the gate with a menacing snarl. Hyorimaru bowed to the great black Akita greeting the warrior by name after allowing Koenma to get his scent. After establishing his right to be there as a member of the Akita pack the great dog nuzzled him gently in the manner of an adult dog when faced with a puppy that'd strayed a little further than usual before letting him pass.

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Severus blinked, and forced himself to hold his ground when the gigantic snarling Akita stepped forward out of the seemingly void space behind the archway. The creature was huge! He barely reached its ankles. The boy didn't even flinch as the huge head laden with teeth that could easily disembowel him – if not swallow him whole – came down to sniff lightly at his hair.

In fact the boy gently pushed the great nose away and bowed respectfully to the great creature, greeting it by name in a tone similar to one used with to address a poodle. The Gigantic dog stepped aside allowing them passage, but not before lowering his head and forelegs to the ground in a long, low canine bow to the boy and snarling briefly at him as he passed.

It drove home the fact that if Sesshomaru was still lord of the western demonic territories then this Slytherin first-year was the son of a Youkai Lord. If his understanding of Japanese demon culture was correct then Hyorimaru was essentially the son of a ruling futal lord. By all rights the boy should have been vainer then Malfoy senior had been when they were students – and yet he didn't seem to be. He was proud but not vein or spoilt. He was polite and proper something that most of the students were severely lacking in. Like almost all of his Slytherin students he was cultured although that culture was different from what they were used to.

Another hour of hiking through the untamed wilderness of Japan's demon territories passed before they met anything more interesting than a squirrel. Severus hated to admit it but he was already getting tired and slowing down, the boy on the other hand was showing his youth in the form of boundless energy as he led the way.

He was just considering taking a break and summoning them both some tea and bisects when the boy froze and growling ordered him to take cover, all but pulling him into the undergrowth. He was just about to scold the child for behaving so impertinently when a boar of mammoth proportions burst onto the scene in front of them. He gasped in shock and drew his wand, knowing full well that his magic would make little to no impact on the hide of a fully grown demon. Still he had to try and protect his student. He edged closer to the boy sliding in front of him just as the boar charged.

"Run!" he yelled despite knowing that there was very little chance of them out running the thing.

The boy bolted, he was fast.

Beyond fast actually; Severus had been prepared to scoop the child up and run with him but the boy was ridiculously swift and despite the fact that Severus was running full out the boy was a few paces ahead of him nimbly avoiding roots, fallen branches and all of the other pitfalls that came with the untamed forest floor as they bolted off the trail.

Abruptly the child went down, his foot caught on a root. He let out an entirely too canine yelp of pain, and threw his head back and howled long and low as Severus magically freed his foot. But it had cost them the boar had eaten up there slim lead in the time it had taken to free the child's foot.

"Run!" he snapped as he turned to face certain death at the hands of a ravenous demon. Still he had to buy the child some time to escape. But the foolish child didn't run, instead he turned and spat something at the boar in Japanese.

The boar squealed in rage and charged just as four balls of light – one red, one gold, one blue and one a brilliant emerald green touched down in front of them, resolving into four monstrous Akitas.

A female and three males

They were gigantic but not as big as the one at the gate, though the differences weren't so much in height as in bulk. These dogs bore the same look as a 12 month old puppy or an 18 year old boy, somehow managing to look adult and yet somehow unfinished as if they had yet to grow into all they would one day be.

The bitch was completely white but for her demonic markings which showed through her coat in an interesting contrast of magenta on white. Her ears were tipped in charcoal. And there was a small splash of black on her tail. The males were slightly larger, one was the red commonly found on Muggle Akitas, and the animal's markings were perfectly mundane except for the two small black equilateral triangles above each eye and the, slightly jagged and highly elongated triangles below – which bleed into something akin to the tear tracks on a Cheetah. The other male was black with jagged white markings, and what looked like a white star on his forehead. He looked a little different than the others as if he might have been part wolf. The last male was slightly larger than the others though he seemed younger somehow. His coat was white as snow, and his killing curse green eyes were ringed with gold. Like the others his eyes were bright with the thrill of the hunt. He bore a significant resemblance to the smaller female in color and configuration. A Half blind child could see that they were kin. Icy blue markings shown out against his white fur as eloquently as they did on the female dog demon; twin ice blue stripes adorned each cheek as well as his wrists and ankles and a slim ice blue crescent moon rested on his forehead.

The dogs moved as one driving off the boar with vicious bites from those bone crunching jaws, darting in to bite before darting back out of the range of those enormous deadly tusks. They signaled to each other with ears and tails turning the boar with a practiced ease and driving it off into the brush, the Bitch broke away as the other three continued to drive off the boar and turned to face them. Severus kept his wand on the Animal and tried to keep himself between this dog and his student.

"Rin!" the boy cried and flung himself at the creature's huge paws. The Bitch – Rin apparently – leaned down and nuzzled the child. After a few tense moments where he stood there stupidly half expecting the monstrous dog to eat the child he lowered his wand. The boy who was currently hugging her muzzle turned and addressed him softly. "Sensei Snape, this is Rin daughter of Sesshomaru, my elder sister."

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Sesshomaru looked up as his daughter entered his office. Rin had grown into a beautiful young woman, with eloquent markings similar to her grandfather's though the lines were cleaner and in his own magenta rather than his father's ice blue, he honestly didn't know where the charcoal markings and her ears and tail came from, but they were beautiful none the less and somehow they suited his daughter.

The girl settled herself down before his desk. "Father," she said with great dignity "Hyorimaru whishes an audience with you."

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow wondering why his son had sent his elder sister to act as his mouthpiece. His question was answered in short order when she added "a sensei Snape has accompanied him from his school to the west."

Ah so she meant that Hyorimaru. He sniffed the air and could smell fear, anxiety, and a little bit of anger rolling off of his youngest pup. He'd nearly forgotten how insecure the boy had been at this age. He also smelled human sweat and fear… and a fainter scent of boar which clung to both of his children and his son's human sensei. "The boar?" he enquired mildly.

"Breakfast most likely." Rin replied calmly. " Hyorimaru, Nanashi, and Ayumu were driving it towards the hunting patrol when we left."

Sesshomaru inclined his head at the news he expected nothing less from any of the young dogs mentioned. "Hyorimaru," he called softly "you and your sensei may enter."

The boy entered slowly, and bowed formally, he smelled uncertain, and he longed to comfort the pup, but he could do no such thing when the human lurked so close by. Instead he gestured for the boy to sit beside his sister. He acknowledged the presence of the child's sensei (who oddly smelled faintly of Braccodog demon) before enquiring after what had transpired to send his pup home in such a state of ill ease. He listened with increasing outrage as both his son and his human Sensei explained what this "James Potter" had done and what the public humiliation meant for Young Hyorimaru. The explanation was interrupted only once by an outraged Rin before she managed to get herself back under control.

"Rest assured my pup this humiliation will be repaid in kind."

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Severus looked up when the young demoness entered the library he was currently sitting in. the pretty young thing bowed her head respectfully at him before handing him a bowl of rice vegetables and cooked pork dripping with a strangely savory smelling sauce.

"Lord Sesshomaru-sama asked that we see his son's sensei is properly fed." He paused and turned her attention to Hyorimaru who was calmly reading a scroll at a low table a few feet away. "Young Lord Hyorimaru the hunters have returned and the pack is gathering for their meal."

Hyorimaru inclined his head and put down his scroll before rising to his feet and following the woman out.

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Minerva sat quietly in her chair at the high table trying not to glare at James Potter as the idiot sat smugly a few chairs down. To her left Severus yawned into his mug of black tea, he and young Hyorimaru had arrived home from Japan only a few hours before. She had to wonder if Severus allowed the boy to sleep. Severus looked a little worse for wear but then he'd always had the uncanny ability to function on two hours of sleep. Hyorimaru on the other hand was only eleven and by all rights should have been dead on his feet but the boy looked like the very picture of barely contained energy.

He had more energy than his classmates this morning.

She leaned over to Severus and whispered "how much caffeine has Young Hyori had this morning?" in a soft undertone.

Severus snorted, "none, but his father saw to it that he ate about a pound of raw pork before we left."

"You mean rare," Minerva corrected absently.

Severus shook his head, "No Minerva, I mean raw. I saw the boy literally eat raw meat."

Minerva blinked disgusted by the idea of the very human boy sitting with the first year Slytherins eating raw meat. She glanced up as an odd silence descended on the Great Hall, floating amid the owls bringing the morning mail was a blood red scroll. She blinked and did a double take at the odd sight of mail delivering itself. Every eye in the room was on the scroll as it floated over to Professor Potter.

The scroll hovered in front of him for a moment before lowering itself down to eye level. The wax seal coming away from the red silk paper with a soft but clearly snap. Smoke billowed out of the ends of the scroll and out from under the flap as the scroll slowly unrolled. The smoke gathered and swiftly took the shape of an Akita. The smoke beast's posture was one of dominance and aggression, its tail held high and its teeth bared, before it opened its maw and growled. A female voice rang out across the great hall high with indignation yet somehow silky with rage.

_How dare you insult the son of Sesshomaru, you vile loathsome little worm – I should kill you were you stand and let the carcass rot. You –_

"_Rin," _the voice was calm and distinctly masculine with only the slightest hint of a growl, "_do not honor this filth with your ire, he is beneath even that. James son of the house Potter, this Sesshomaru would inform you of your most grievous error in accosting and humiliating a son of my house. We have seen more in terms of centuries then a mortal could ever dream. As such we have more ways of causing injury then you have of evading. Remember this when next you think of accosting my pup. They will not find enough pieces of you to warrant a burial."_

With that the Akita lunged for the scroll trapping it in mid air beneath one massive paw. The air filled with high-pitched agonized shrieking as the Dog visibly savaged the scroll, tearing away great strips of heavily bleeding silk. Blood flew in all directions covering James's and splattering the rest of the high table. Through it all the shrieking rose and fell like agonized cries until finally with one savage bite the smoke dog cracked the two slim silver rods that ran through the scroll, the dog dropped the decimated sluggishly bleeding scraps of the letter upon James plate and turning on its heels disappeared into thin air.

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*Canticum theme is Latin for theme song.


	12. Chapter 12

_Dear Father:_

_Allow me to apologize for my lack of _

_I have been accepted into Slytherin house _

_The Boy you suggested would make a good ally has pointed out some interesting _

Draco groaned as he stared at the letter he was attempting to write to his parents, and refrained from doing anything as idiotic as banging his head against the desk. He had so much to tell his father that he honestly didn't even know where to start. Did he start by apologizing for not writing home since starting school? did he start by telling his father that he'd been accepted into Slytherin house as they had all expected? Did he simply give an explanation of Hyorimaru's unusual strategies and request advice? Should he tell his father about the stunt professor Potter had pulled and Hyorimaru's immediate retaliation? Should he tell his father about the strange and horrific Howler his friend's father had sent in reply? One thing was certain, Hyorimaru was the strangest Slytherin he'd ever met. He was the only one – so far as Draco knew – who had already started to acquire allies from other houses. In fact the boy was currently actively seeking them out – so far the boy had recruited the mudblood Granger from Ravenclaw and was looking at other students from the other houses as well. Not all of them in their year.

Draco remembered the argument that had taken place within their common room over the other boy's bizarre behavior. Hyorimaru had argued that if he was to have advisories within the other houses then he needed allies as well – after all if he had allies within the other houses then nowhere was truly out of his reach. The other boy had even justified befriending the mudblood by informing the rest of the Slytherins that she was smart and would likely end up a master of whatever field she chose.

Draco didn't know if he approved – but he could see the other boy's logic. Should he try to befriend the girl? Or should he merely keep her acquaintance and allow himself to remain neutral? Should he risk his father's wrath by asking for advice on that front?

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Albus was a patient man; years of working with adolescents who were often anything but rational had taught him the value of patients. Still some things were just too much. He would have sacked any other teacher for the stunt James had pulled earlier, but the man had insisted that if he was let go he would take Nicolas to another school, like Dermstrang or one of the few Magical schools in the orient. The fact remained, young Nickolas was safer at Hogwarts then any of their rival schools - and Minerva would likely skin him, if he let the pride of her house and the son of her favorite student attend another school.

He sighed as he settled himself .

For the child's good, he'd allowed James to stay on. But he'd had no choice but to ensure that the man did not teach the Ravenclaws or the Hufflepuffs - thanks to Ms. Granger none of the younger years of either house would be taught by the man and the older Hufflepuffs stood by the younger as was their way. The older Ravenclaws being intellectual had no such issues but still it meant that he had a lot of work to do rearranging their schedules to handle the problem. At the moment it looked as though he would have to put the upper year Hufflepuffs with the upper year Slytherins for that one class and rearrange the rest were he could.

To make matters worse James was currently pressing to have Quidditch team tryouts opened to Nickolas this year. After months of arguing - most of which had taken place over the summer Albus had decided to allow it. In the interest of fairness however, he was going to allow all four houses to hold a special open tryout. He doubted many - if any of the teams would find first string players among the first years. The most that was likely to happen was one or more of the rather resourceful Quidditch captains would find themselves a few promising players to train up as alternates.

He refrained from sighing when James finally arrived for the teacher's meeting. He held this meeting two weeks into every term to discuss the children and any issues that may have come up.

Severus shot the man a disgusted glance but thankfully refrained from saying anything.

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Hyorimaru growled under his breath as he contemplated the Gryffindor idiots in his year. Nickolas Potter was too much of an idiot to be worth the time and energy an alliance would require. His fame could have proved useful and his arrogance a lovely weakness that could be used but the other boy was not worth the effort. Weasley was a moron with absolutely no influence to speak of. Thomas and Finnegan were less than ideal. Longbottom was … inept but he did have potential, his biggest weakness being his lack of confidence and shy streak.

From what he'd seen so far the only Gryffindors who were worth his time were the Weasley twins, but he truly had no idea how he was going to recruit them into an alliance. Longbottom would do for now, according to Draco the boy came from an influential family and was their only possible heir. The problem was he didn't think any of the damned lions would associate with a 'lowly Slytherin'.

So how should he go about cultivating an alliance?

If his textbooks were to be believed, then Potions and Herbology went hand in hand, and an aptitude for Herbology should translate to at least a proficiency in Potions. However the Gryffindor couldn't seem to go a single lesson without melting his cauldron at least once.

Maybe if he offered to tutor the boy?

HPIYHPIYHPIY

Neville Longbottom sighed, his life was over. He'd had detention with Snape after every class since he'd started at Hogwarts. Granted he'd only had four classes with the man so far, but he was dismal at potions and the professor had threatened to write his grandmother and demand that she replace the cauldrons he'd melted if his work didn't improve to the point that he was only melting one per class. He groaned and buried his head in his hands. He'd been rather summarily ostracized by his house last week after professor Snape had deducted 50 points after his horrid potions skills had not only melted his cauldron but three others and sent 10 students to the hospital wing with burns, and boils. Even Nick wasn't talking to him and they'd been friends for as long as he could remember…. Actually now that he thought about it he vaguely remembered a nick with green eyes rather than hazel. He guessed that would be Harry/Hyorimaru.

He wandered through the herbology section of the library in search of a book on a plant meant to bring good luck to its keeper, maybe if he could get his hands on said plant then he'd have better luck at potions and with his abysmal memory. It didn't take him long to find a book on rare Scottish plants.

Hopefully it would be in there.

With a little luck it would be something he could get without his Grandmother's money, help or permission.

He made his way over to a small alcove in an out of the way corner of the library, settled himself into one of the plush chairs set his potions homework down on the small table and opened _Rare magical plants of the Scottish Moors. _

He'd read through the book in the hour that had passed and having found nothing more useful then muggle myths about four-leaf clovers and how to use them to brew a low level luck potion. He wanted to scream with frustration.

"You know," A soft cultured voice said from just across his small table. "With your skill in Herbology you should be at least proficient in potions. Perhaps we can be of use to each other."

His head snapped up and he locked eyes with Hyorimaru, Nickolas's disowned twin brother. The boy's oddly colored Gold ringed green eyes shown with a cool intellect. Nevil lifted his chin and summoned up his Gryffindor courage. "I'm in enough trouble with my house without being seen talking to a Slytherin." He replied softly. "Please, just go away."

Hyorimaru cocked his head to the side and took a deep breath. "No one is close enough to see." He replied in that oddly soft and cultured voice and slipped into a chair that was deep in the shadows, but stayed where Neville himself could still see his face clearly. "I'm willing to tutor you in potions, teach you how to study and go over what we will be covering in class beforehand so that, how did Snape put it? Oh yes 'your abysmal performance improves' and he won't involve your grandmother."

"You're a Slytherin." He replied firmly. "You never do anything without getting something in return."

Hyorimaru offered him a small smile that made him oddly uncomfortable. "You get a better score in potions, more self-confidence, and all I'm asking for in return is a little bit of intelligence on my snot of a brother."

"I-I don't think I can do that." Neville replied in a small voice.

Hyorimaru inclined his head, "my offer stands." He said simply as he walked away. He paused a few feet away before saying "try Japan if you're looking for a little luck."

HPIYHPIYHPIY

Nickolas couldn't help the bounce in his step as he headed off to the first flying lesson of the year. Here was a place he was guaranteed to surpass that upstart Slytherin he had the misfortune of sharing blood with. That slimy snake had bested him at just about everything they'd tried over the past few weeks. The damned turning a match into a needle, had taken him three tried despite having almost six months of experience with basic Transfiguration. His father had obviously been right when he accused that damned Slytherin of cheating, when the little death eater got it on his first try. The bastard had gone on to show him up in Potions by answering every question that the greasy bat had originally posed of him. They'd managed to levitate their feathers at the same time in charms. He'd decided to put the bastard back into his place with his superior knowledge of curses and jinxes (he'd been learning prank related ones since he was four). However the slimy little Slytherin was fast, and he'd found himself rather quickly bested in a muggle style fight, his holly wand sent flying down the hall when the other boy had brought his hand down onto his wrist in such a way that he'd dropped it. Years of being forced to hang around Ne-Longbottom had made him proficient in Herbology.

But everyone knew _that _was a useless subject.

But flying –

His father had told him that he'd been given his first toy broom when his mother was still alive. Being held in his father's arms as they flew over the shrine, under a disillusionment charm was one of his earliest memories. So he knew he'd wipe the floor with that annoying snake!

All of the first years stood in the courtyard, in two straight lines the school's old Cleansweeps resting on the floor beside them. It was a shame that he had to use one of these archaic brooms when he had a Nimbus 2000 at home. But he supposed it couldn't be helped; and he was well compensated for the embarrassment at any rate. The Nimbus 2000 was not going to be the newest racing broom for long. His father owned 16 shares in a company that developed racing brooms so he got all of the best racing brooms a few months before they came out. He be the proud owner of a Nimbus 2001 by the time he went home for the summer. According to his father, the Japanese Wizarding community had a new racing broom of their own but it wouldn't be on the market until the summer, his father had promised him one for Christmas.

It was the least the broom makers could do – after all he was the boy who lived.

According to his father the Sui Riu was the first broom of its class. It apparently had the some pretty interesting features.

After this summer he could chose which broom to use for school since he was a shoe-in for a spot on the Gryffindor team.

He wanted to be a chaser, but he'd settle for a seeker if he had to.

HPIYHPIYHPIY

Hyorimaru groaned as he looked down at the broom at his feet Draco was bragging about the broom he had at home, and like the bulk of the other Slytherin students he was also complaining about the quality of the school's brooms. Personally he didn't see what all the fuss was about. The brooms looked serviceable and more then adequate for the purpose of this class. When he'd first started to learn sword work he'd wanted to use a brand new wooden practice blade but his father had reminded him that he did not need one. Just as he hadn't gotten a new practice blade when he'd shifted to a metal practice blade. In fact his father had never spoilt him.

_A spoilt pup was a dead pup. _He could just hear the older demon's words in his head.

"Is there any reason why the school should use the best brooms on the market to teach a bunch of first years – several of which probably wouldn't know which end of the broom to use?" he asked in a bored drawl that would have made his father proud.

Draco snorted, when Blaze retorted, "True and imagine the horror if one of the mudbloods tried to sweep with it?"

Draco was about to reply when Madam Hooch called their collective attention back to their class telling them how to use, mount, and hold their brooms and correcting the grips of many of the students. Hyorimaru couldn't quite help feeling foolish as he mounted the broom. His father could fly, and InuYasha could jump with enough force that he might as well have had that power. Kirara could fly, and the fire cat had taken him up on her back a few times. Ah-Un often flew with Rin and him on their back. so the idea of flying with a thin strip of wood holding him up was laughable and a bit intimidating.

Idly he wondered, would he be able to fly under his own power one day like his father could?

They'd all finally gotten their brooms up and were under instruction to take them up and hover a bit when Longbottom's broom went rogue slamming the terrified boy into one of the battlements, the broom shattered and the boy plummeted to the floor with a sickening crash and the distinctive sound of bone's breaking.

Hyorimaru stood in silent shock along with the rest of the first years as their teacher led Longbottom off to the Hospital wing.

Then Nickolas and the other Gryffindor boys started laughing holding up a round glass orb and making comments about Longbottom's memory and broken arm.

Hyorimaru stalked forward utterly disgusted, Longbottom was supposed to be a part of Potter's pack, Longbottom's scent had been on both James and Nickolas the first day of school, he'd seen the two families standing together on Platform 9 and ¾. At the very least they were housemates and this behavior was horrid.

He drew his wand as he walked and snapped out the thyme-song spell keeping his mind firmly on the song he'd written for it, twisting his wand slightly at the end to lock the spell.

HPIYHPIYHPIY

_Oh I wish I was a shiny green Slytherin_

'_cause if I was a shiny green Slytherin_

_Then everyone would be in love with me._

A disembodied voice sang as Nicolas Potter stormed into third year boys' dorm looking for those damned prank-loving twins.

"Take it off!" he demanded sharply.

"Why Gred, I don't believe," George said

Fred picked up his brother's sentence in the same bored tone. "That he has the proper attitude? Forge? Most defiantly-"

"Not. I must say who ever"

"Taught the little-"

"Snot a lesson"

"Has our blessing" they chorused the last bit together as was typical of their strange speech patterns.

Grumbling under his breath about the annoyance of twinspeech and the twins themselves he marched up to find Percy the older boy was a prat, but at least he was helpful.

HPIYHPIYHPIY

Percy stormed down the halls with Nickolas Potter an annoyed Ron and a highly amused Fred and George in search of their head of house in the hopes that the woman could undo the annoying spell that was currently on three of them. The twins where their mostly for the good laugh they were getting out of hearing the disembodied voices singing to the tune of 'oh I wish I was an Oscar Miar wiener' and another similarly aggravating song that had popped up when he'd tried to remove the spell.

They finally made it to McGonagall's office and knocked, entering to a mixed Chorus of "Oh I wish I was a shiny green Slytherin -" and "Nick Potter is a Phony, a Phony."

HPIYHPIYHPIY

A.N

Okay im sending this from an internet café we passed and didn't really have time to go through and edit it so this chapter is unedited. Just to clarify Hyorimaru is not supper smart or supper powerful (at least not much more than his twin) they both have a lot of magic but unlike Nick Hyori actually studies. And when he can't do something with wizard magic he tends to instinctively throw demonic magic at the problem as well it makes him formidable and dangerous but he does have the same limits and weaknesses as a dog demon his age.


	13. Chapter 13

A.N. sorry about the long wait, school, work ,computer problems, keyboard ornament that growled at me every time I attempted to mover her off the laptop. (still love my dog) and the computer eating this chapter not once but twice all kind of conspired against my being able to write this story in a timely fashion, add to that the fact that my sister (who is a large part of the inspiration for this fic )has been unreachable, being homeless for a few weeks, playing catch up in all of my classes because of said stint as a couch surfer and general writers block on my part and you have a recipe for a long wait for an update.

Right now I have school, my thesis paper, so updates will be slow but hopefully regular. Sorry

This chapter is unedited.

HPIYHPIYHPIYHPIY

Hyorimaru sat quietly in the library trying to figure out exactly how he'd created the unexpected spreading effect that had occurred when Weasley attempted to remove the spell. His stomach rumbled, and he wondered how long it would take the Elves to figure out that he ate his meat raw. Much as he hated to admit to any form of weakness he knew he couldn't keep up the pace he was currently living at for much longer. Like all dog demons his age he was a bundle of energy, until that energy ran out – then he simply slept.

His energy was wearing thin at the moment; he knew that eating cooked food over an extended period of time was bad for a young demon. Inuyasha and Shippo's somewhat stunted growth was proof enough of that. For Now he was hunting for himself, but he knew he couldn't keep it up, not in the quantities he needed at any rate.

Like any pup his age his father had started to teach him the skills of the hunt, but he was still too young to participate when the pack hunted, and the exercise of hunting for himself on an almost daily basis in addition to his other studies was draining him. He'd fallen asleep while hunting yesterday – and had been forced to eat bacon and eggs for breakfast this morning. It had left him feeling both hungry and slightly ill.

Pork had no business being eaten cooked.

Hunger was making him tired and cranky.

He couldn't concentrate, and his work in class was showing it today, and just to add insult to injury he'd read the same paragraph six times and still had no idea what it meant. He might have no choice but to ask for help from one of his professors. Professor Flitwick was the charms professor and this was a charms issue. However making a spell contagious was defiantly not first year spell work. Professor Snape was his head of house and less likely to rat him out should he actually use the information he was after. But the man's specialty was potions and if the tidbits he'd learned in the halls were to be believed the dark arts. The later was useful in this case but the former was not. Snape was a Slytherin and thus more likely to suspect him of some mischief, while Flitwick being a Ravenclaw was more likely to believe him if he claimed that the question was purely Hypothetical.

Which it was –

For now.

HPIYHPIYHPIY

Minerva sighed it had taken three days for the strange spell to wear off of three of her lion cubs. In the end she'd resorted to casting a muting spell on Ron and Nickolas every time they entered her class room, lifting it after three minutes had passed so that she wouldn't have to listen to any of the two inane songs that might be sung out as soon as they entered or exited a room.

She had never been so thankful to see a spell end. She'd caught herself humming that inane tune on more than one occasion during the three days since the boys had been hexed. The one source she would have normally expected such a prank to come from, had denied any knowledge of the prank. Personally she thought the Twins were starting their reign of Pranking Terror early this year.

HPIYHPIYHPIYHPIY

Hyorimaru groaned when Draco shook him awake. This was the first time since he'd started school that the other students had risen before him. He stretched yawned and scrambled out of bed -still feeling dead on his paws. Stifling the urge to groan in a most undignified manner and climb back into his warm nest of pillows and go back to sleep. His father would kill him if he skipped class for any reason beyond a matter of life and death.

In other words if shipping class would save his life or cement a political alliance

Still he wanted to sleep, and he wanted a good breakfast, of freshly slaughtered red meat. He wanted to feel the warmth of the fresh blood as it slid down his throat, strengthening him with its life giving essence.

HPIYHPIYHPIYHPIY

"I have a question on theoretical spell work and can't decide if I should speak to Snape or Flitwick about it." Hyorimaru said to Draco in a hushed tone as they sat quietly in the first row of the Potions class room waiting for their lecture to begin.

"Ask Snape, he's your head of house." Draco replied softly.

Hyorimaru inclined his head, "I can't decide if my question qualifies as a defense against the Dark arts question or a Charms question, either way I can't exactly ask Professor Quirrell, he's a blithering Idiot; and I'm worried Snape will think I'm up to something."

"Are you?" Draco enquired softly.

Hyorimaru flicked his gaze over to his fool of a twin brother, and then looked back at his book. "Not unless _he_ seriously annoys me."

Draco inclined his head slightly, "Ask Flitwick, it will be easier to make him believe the question is purely academic.

Hyorimaru inclined his head slightly and stifled the urge to yawn, he was still exhausted.

To make matters worse he was not used to having to ask for help in order to do something magical.

The experience was _not _appreciated.

HPIYHPIYHPIYHPIY

Hyorimaru bowed deeply to the tiny professor, "domo arigato gozaimasu sensei"i he said sincerely before exiting Flitwiks office in possession of the information he needed to make a spell contagious through touch, as well as the information he needed to reverse it.

He couldn't help the small smirk that graced his lips, as he thought about exactly what he was going to do with that information should Nickolas prove to be a further irritant.

True he'd likely get in trouble with Flitwick and then with Snape for getting caught… but it would be worth it.

HPIYHPIYHPIYHPIYHPIY

Nickolas could not believe it.

His father had promised him that He'd get McGonagall and Dumbledore to have tryouts opened to Gryffindor first-years this year, and he'd succeeded.

The only problem was Dumbledore – the old coot – had insisted that this year's first-year Quidditch tryouts policy be open to all students in all houses.

In the interests of fairness … of course.

It still stunk

This was supposed to be his time to shine.

He, Nicolas Potter, the boy-who-lived, was supposed to be the youngest house player in a century.

No matter, he would still be the youngest house player in a century. His skills on a broom, and his experience would be invaluable to Gryffindor house – after all he'd only been playing the sport with his father and godfather since he turned three.

Surly Wood would see the importance of having him on the team.

He would be playing Outside Chaser – he was the boy-who-lived and his mere presence on the team was sure to intimidate the snake-hearted Slytherin team, and would defiantly give the Bookish Ravens pause. After all if his accidental magic could destroy a rampaging dark lord just think what he could do to them on the field… accidently of course.

As for the Hufflepuff team – well they weren't a threat to begin with.

He would certainly be made first string, leaving Spinnet to play second string.

It was after all what was best for his team and he knew Wood and Spinnet herself would jump at the chance to have him on the team.

HPIYHPIYHPIYHPIYHPIY

Hyorimaru listened to his friends drone on about Quidditch, he honestly didn't see the significance. There were no combat skills here to practice, no hunting skills to sharpen, it seemed like little more than an academic distraction. Still he had to admit it was an academic distraction that came with a position in the general Hierarchy of this schools pack.

Still it made no sense, these house players did not catch food, or help protect the den in any way. He couldn't see the purpose behind the exercise and that more than anything else annoyed him.

The fact that he was trying not to fall asleep as their ghostly instructor droned on and on about the Goblin rebellion of 1602, was a further source of aggravation and he was seriously beginning to consider the option of asking Uncle Inuyasha's friend Miroku to give him a lesson in exorcism.

Frankly anything would be better than sitting here listening while Binns turned what should have been a lesson in strategy, politics, and intergovernmental relations - at the very least - into an exceedingly boring, march of political fear Propaganda against the Nation that guarded and largely controlled the currency of the Wizarding world.

All in all it seemed like bad policy to him.

One that would be corrected in regards to his own funds as soon as he came of age. He'd found out from Gringotts Bank that his mother had apparently set up an account for him when he was just a baby that was entirely separate from the Potter accounts.

Idly he wondered if the Inu- daiyōkai had an alliance with the Goblin Nation. It seemed to be an advantageous prospect for the pack. He'd have to discuss the matter with his lord father after he went back down the bone-eaters well for the holiday break.

Draco and Blaze where currently whispering incessantly about the coming tryouts. This weekend promised to be a further exercise in aggravation as the Headmaster had announced at breakfast this morning that the ban against First years having brooms on campus would be lifted for any student who managed to secure a spot on their house team. He was fairly certain that this meant that the entire population of overly loud, sugar high, eleven year olds would be crowding the pitch for the majority of the day.

Even if they were only present for their own house tryouts it was sure to make the prospect of hunting difficult that evening.

He'd have to make sure to hunt well, and stuff himself the night before these tryouts. He after all could sleep in, he had no intention of participating in something so idiotic.

At least the common room would be clear for the better part of the afternoon since both the Slytherin and Gryffindor teams tryouts were being held before diner. Captain Flint was already trying to turn that to his advantage.

He turned his head slightly at the sound of his 'brother' whining about the fact that Dumbledore had extended the tryouts to all first years, as well as the fact that while any first year who was accepted on a team could have their own broom, they all had to tryout on the school's brooms. _Daddy _it seemed had promised the coddled little brat that he'd have his own broom for the Tryouts.

Hyori snorted and shook his head as Nickolas whined about how it was not fair that he'd have to use a school broom until the headmaster gave permission for him to have his own again.

Apparently he thought he wouldn't show to advantage on an old clean-sweep.

Hyorimaru shook his head as the boy digressed into bragging about what his father was going to do to repay him for the indignity of being forced to tryout on a school broom. Apparently his father had promised to buy him the two newest racing brooms, and to use the fame of the boy-who-lived- to get them before they came out on the Market. Nickolas was bragging about the fact that he would be able to pick which of the two brooms he preferred.

Hyorimaru listened quietly to the boy prattle on about the qualities of the one of two different brooms.

The Nimbus 2001 was apparently supposed to be the fastest broom in the world, faster than even it's predecessor the Nimbus 2000, and apparently quite expensive. The second broom James had promised the boy was the Sui Riu.

They rose from their seats and filed gratefully out of the classroom.

"Dad says, he'll use my fame to get us a discount on the Sui Riu" Nick said loudly to Ronald as the two boys shoved their way past Draco, Blaze and Him. "After all it's only my due. I saved the world as a baby."

Draco raised his chin, "only way you'd be able to afford that broom is if they gave it to you for free." He drawled.

"Frankly I'd like to see Potter's daddy try to convince the head of Hikarinotsurugi to give him a free racing broom." Blaze replied.

Hyorimaru blinked, he knew that company name, when he'd arrived in England, they'd stayed in 'an apartment' owned by Dai-Yōkai industries. He'd asked his older self about the company, and had been rather offhandedly informed that it was owned by their Clan. When he'd asked for further information his Elder self had directed him to the library and informed him that knowledge had to be earned not arbitrarily handed over.

"_A dog who cannot follow a scent trail on his own, never leads a hunt."_

His research that night had yielded a list of smaller companies

Hikarinotsurugi – or the light sword, had been one of them.

He smirked, "Lord Sesshomaru is more likely to brave the horrible aftertaste and eat him, then allow Potter's whelp to shine his shoes." He informed his friends mildly, before turning to walk away.

HPIYHOIYHOIYHPIY

Neville sighed, and gazed down at the parchment in his hands. He didn't want to mail the letter he'd so painstakingly written to his Gran. How could he tell her that he'd lost both the friendship of the heir to the Potter line – a house theirs had been allied with since the dawn of time – and the rather expensive Remebral she'd scent him.

She was going to be furious.

What if she made him come home?

His uncle had threatened him with that, before he'd left for the train, reminding him that he wasn't magically strong. That it would not be difficult to have him homeschooled and that it would likely shield the family from the shame of having their last true heir, produce only a single near squib son. Neville closed his eyes and let his head fall to the library table, as he tried not to cry in shame.

He knew he would never measure up to the man Frank Longbottom had been, knew his father would be horrified and ashamed of him, had he retained enough of his mind to do so. Still the truth hurt. To make matters worse he was beginning to suspect that Nick had only pretended to be his friend for the sake of their family alliance. Nikolas's continued ostracism of him had led to him being a veritable pariah in his own house.

He glanced up when something soft and unseen brushed across his cheek. He glanced around, but didn't see anything that would account for the feeling of fur caressing his skin. Hyorimaru stood quietly a few feet in front of him, too far away to touch but obviously waiting for acknowledgement. He flushed deeply at the thought of the Slytherin boy seeing him in such a state. If Nick saw him crying he'd pick on him for it then, he'd tell Ron, and it would be all over the common room the next time one of the two boys got mad.

"Am I interrupting?" He enquired mildly.

Neville, unused to someone who would blatantly ignore his tears, could only shake his head. Hyorimaru came forward, slipping easily into the deep shadows. His eyes giving off a faint and yet eerie glow, even as the rest of him disappeared in plain sight. After a moment even his eyes disappeared. For a moment Neville could have sworn the other boy was watching him, without saying a word.

It was creepy.

He felt like he was locked in the gaze of a large, deadly, predator. "No," he replied softly. "I am simply trying to pen a letter to my Gran."

"You dropped something during our flying lesson," Hyorimaru informed him mildly. "I have been meaning to return it, but I haven't had the time."

The other boy moved so quickly Neville didn't have time to react. One moment he was there the next he was gone, and his grandmother's gift sat innocently on the edge of the desk. A slip of parchment pinned in place by its scant weight. He picked up the Remembral, and tucked it almost reverently into his shoulder bag, before picking up the note.

_Hermione could use an ally,  
You could use a tutor.  
Perhaps you could be of use to each other _

Neville stared at the paper, and then turned his attention to a table not that far away where the young Ravenclaw first year sat alone surrounded by towering piles of books. Quickly he shoved his now unneeded letter to his grandmother into his bag, gathered his books and made his way over to the girl. She didn't acknowledge his presence, not surprising considering the fact that she likely couldn't see him, when she was hidden so well behind the mountains of books on her table.

"May I join you?" Neville enquired softly.

The girl's head snapped up, "Please." She replied softly.

Neville swallowed, and drawing up his supposed Gryffindor courage he enquired, "How do you know Hyorimaru?" hoping the young Ravenclaw wouldn't be disgusted with him for his budding association with the Slytherin.

Hermione blinked, "We met on the train." She replied in a somewhat guarded tone. Abruptly she glared at him. "He is not evil, or slimy. I don't understand why the whole school feels the need to vilify their fellow students just because their tie happens to be green and silver."

Neville blinked, then smiled. "I don't know why he keeps helping me." He admitted mildly. "It just James, that's Nickolas's father, has told me my whole life that all Slytherins were evil." He sighed, "and that my dad would be ashamed of me for keeping any ties with someone who was part of that house. Sure Hyorimaru wants an ally in Gryffindor, for harmless pranks, would my dad really be ashamed of me for associating with him? I don't know and I can't even ask him."

Hermione nodded, "So you've known professor Potter since you where little?"

"My mom, was best friends with Lily Potter, before... the war." He replied, "My Gran, told me Lily was my Godmother."

Hermione considered this quietly for a moment, "What does your Grandmother say?" she enquired after a moment.

"My Gran?" he asked in mild surprise.

Hermione nodded, "Is she your mother's mother, or your father's? Either way she is likely a better source of information on your parents, then a man who would disown his own child because of his school house."

Neville nodded, "My father's mother, and you are likely right." He paused "I could use some help with potions." He admitted after a second's hesitation and then added. "But I'm really good at Herbology, if you need any help with that."

"Oh the Potions essay, it's quite easy really. Here let me show you." Hermione replied before launching into a fast and information heavy explanation of the properties of moonstone in all its different forms.

HPIYHPIYHPIYHPIYHPIYHPIY

Nickolas stood quietly at the edge of the field, staring at the new brooms his father had donated to the Gryffindor team. It was one of the many ways that he was being compensated for the indignity of having to try out. By their first game the Gryffindor team would be mounted on the best brooms. Not that it would truly make that much of a difference, his team had the best players and with him as one of their three chasers, the other teams would be to intimidated to put up to much of a fight. He glanced out at the stands and preened at the sight of the crowd of lower year that had gathered to watch the tryouts. He smiled all of them were here to see the great boy who lived, he'd have to make sure to give them a good show.

HPIYHPIYHPIYHPIYHPIY

Hyorimaru sighed as he settled himself down in the Slytherin section of the stands. Slytherin team captain Marcus Flint, had ordered the first years to spy on the other three houses during their team tryouts since it would look more believable for the first years to be hanging around then any of the older years, or the team players themselves. He wanted them to pay particular attention to Potter, as it was likely that Gryffindor's team captain Wood, was likely to allow the boy to play – even if he was only a reserve player.

Hyorimaru frankly could have cared less. It was little more then a pup's game. Granted it was one that sharpened certain hunting skills like hand eye coordination and team work, but beyond that it held no real purpose.

"Blaze, Draco," he enquired mildly. "Explain the reasons behind this game to me? It's incomprehensible that a pup as close to grown as Flint, would place such importance on a game that holds little relevance in an Adult's life."

For a moment his two friends gaped at him, and then Blaze shook his head. "There are times I almost forget you were raised by demons, and then you ask such inane questions."

Behind them one of the older boys chuckled, "Think of it this way Hyorimaru, it's an exercise in dominance. A spot on the team comes with a respected place within the house's hierarchy, and if you're a good enough player, the school's as well."

Hyorimaru turned his head and gazed up at the older boy, a third year Ravenclaw whose name he'd never bothered to learn. He breathed in deeply committing the older boy's scent to memory. "My thanks," he replied, comforting himself with the knowledge that he would always remember the other boy's scent, should he prove to be an Ally or a foe. "Please forgive my rudeness, but whom exactly are you?"

"Jonathan Ward," the Boy answered mildly.

Hyorimaru inclined his head. "Tell me about this game, how does one gain a spot on their team and how does this equate to the hierarchy both within my own house and the school. How does one play this game and what are it's objectives?"

Draco turned his head and looked the Ravenclaw boy up and down sharply, "How exactly did you do that?" he enquired mildly. "Blaze and I have been trying to get Hyorimaru interested in Quidditch since just after the Opening feast, and he just referred to it as 'a silly children's game."

Jonathan flushed, "My father breeds Crups." He confessed after a moment's hesitation. "I merely considered what I know of them and applied it to your friend. The Yōkai in general fascinate me and there is so little information on them, except for some research gathered by the old clans of Japanese Yōkai Taijiya. Even so I recognized an Inu-Yōkai when I saw one on the platform. No offence intended, but I figured you might value Pack hierarchy the same way a dog would."

Hyorimaru couldn't help it, he laughed. "You speak Inu?" he enquired in his tongue.

Several surprised looks greeted his barked question. He snorted "I suppose not," he added in English. "To bad, it would be nice to have a discussion in a language that isn't stagnant."ii

"You speak dog?" Blaze gasped.

Draco snorted, "Honestly Zimbini how unobservant are you? He talks in his sleep, when he's tired enough."

Hyorimaru glared at them indignantly "I do not talk in my sleep." He replied indignantly.

HPIYHPIYHPIYHPIY

Nickolas landed after his trial and gave a theatric bow, his broom in hand, soaking in the praise and adoration of his fans. He'd tried out for the Seeker position, as it was currently open, as well as his coveted chaser position on Captain Wood's request. He glanced over at Wood and the other established members of the team who were evaluating his performance. The twins looked annoyed, but eventually they subsided.

Honestly the two did not have the proper respect for everything he had sacrificed as their savior. He'd done something none of them could do and vanquished the Dark Lord, as a baby. He'd lost his mother, that Night, and some of the Dark Lord's Evil Slytherinness had rubbed off on his twin brother. His father had been forced to get rid of the boy as he was nothing but trouble and would have grown up to oppose the light and hurt him. The twin's just couldn't understand how much he had to sacrifice every day so that they and everyone else could have a roll modal to look up to. He was a shining paragon of the light, and he couldn't be seen or allied with unworthy people or families. The Weasilys were a good light family and firmly in Dumbledore's camp, as such they were a good family to know even if they were not very good politically. But that was what the Longbottom family was for. The Longbottom family had the political clout to back up the Potter family. They were an Ancient and Noble family, and Nickolas New if he could Just get Neville to magically swear the loyalty of the House of Longbottom to the house of Potter then that formidable political power and their great wealth could be at his beck and call.

He didn't know why his father cared so much about securing their loyalty but, he and Dumbledore agreed on one thing the best way to get in with the few light families that were both Anciant and Noble was through their heirs.

He shook away his thoughts as Wood walked over to him. "You'd make a good Chaser but you're not as good or well rounded as the three I currently have. You'll be a back up Chaser but actually play Seeker, you're the best of the lot that tried out for that at least."

He opened his mouth to protest when a new voice drawled. "Oh look Potty's about to throw a tantrum because his adoring fans didn't give him exactly what he wants."

He whipped around and came face to face with Malfoy, Zimbini and His own worthless twin. He smiled, "Well, well, well, if it isn't the mini Death Eaters." He drawled slowly. "Bought your way onto the team yet Malfoy? As for Mr. no last name, he wouldn't be able to buy his way on the team even if he wanted to. He's so worthless his own family didn't want him and he'd never be able to match me in matters of finesse not in the air."

Hyorimaru snorted, "you wouldn't know finesse if it bit you. Whelp. I've seen a better areal performance out of a wounded Kappa."

"Kappa's are an aquatic species." Wood informed them all mildly, from where he'd been observing their argument.

Hyorimaru turned his head and took in the older boy for a second with one eyebrow quirked. "Precisely."

Nikolas felt himself tremble with rage at the sound of the twins and several other members of his house started to snigger at that comment. "That's it!" he snapped. "In the air now, first to score three goals wins."

He turned his attention briefly to Ron, Neville, Seamus and Dean. "When we're in the air distract him with the golf balls Wood was using to test the seekers."

The boy's barring Neville smiled and nodded in understanding.

HPIYHPIYHPIY

Hyorimaru paused briefly, considering the challenge, even as his inner demon screamed at him to put the little whelp back in his place. He longed to show the little idiot who was the dominant dog, longed to feel flesh shredding beneath his sharp claws. It took every ounce of his will power not to growl. He mastered his instincts enough to consider his options.

He had had all of one flying lesson and was unsure if he could win in aerial combat.

However, all of Slytherin house's First Year students and even a few of the second years had gathered in the stands to spy on the Gryffindor team, under Flints orders and to make matters worse the Slytherin team had assembled while they were arguing.

There would be no quietly evading this battle of dominance.

"Very well," he said in a voice that was little more than a growl.

He blinked as a broom handle was held out to him and nodded in understanding as he took hold of the smooth polished wood. It was one of the school's brooms, one of the better ones, from what he could tell.

He took it, muttering an oath under his breath at the absurdity of the situation he'd somehow managed to get himself into.

HPIYHPIYHPIYHPIY

Draco patted Hyorimaru on the shoulder when they sat down to dinner.

"Youngest Seeker in a century!" he crowed, ignoring the fact that _Potter, _had also been made team seeker and since the two where in fact twins, were actually the same age.

Hyorimaru sighed, "I don't know why they made me seeker, I lost."

"That doesn't matter," Flint informed him mildly. "You scored two goals to his three, even with them banishing muggle golf balls at you. All of which you somehow managed to catch and hold on to. After which you managed to beat Higgs in Seeker tryouts. It was a bloody brilliant Display. Wood is going to have a hard time training his little celebrity when all the boy does is whine about not getting the spot he wanted. Slytherin is sure to win the cup this year. We have a natural as a seeker and a well trained Alternate should we need to use him. You just have to get a good broom. I can help you with that… for a price."

Hyorimaru snorted, still obviously annoyed at having lost to his much hated twin brother. "Thank you, no, I will send word to the Clan, they will see to it I am properly outfitted for this." he glared at his plate poking disinterestedly at the perfectly marbled stake that had simply appeared on his plate, before cutting into it rather unenthusiastically.

Until he noticed that the insides were still pink, then he tucked in with far more enthusiasm then Draco had ever seen.

He closed his eyes, thankful that while his friend was eating rather enthusiastically, his table manners where still impeccable.

HPIYHPIYHPIYHPIYHPIY

Hyorimaru stood quietly on the edge of the astronomy tower. His dinner had revitalized him, though it was still nowhere near as refreshing as eating raw, bloody, life-giving meat. He would hunt tonight by the light of the full moon. But first he would remind himself of exactly what he was. He was not human, and had not been for a very long time. He was the Son of Sesshomaru, the Clan's prince, Future leader of the Western Lands, if he could just keep pushing himself forward; he had to be the best at everything he did. That was the real difference between him and his twin brother. Nickolas was a spoilt pup, cosseted and coddled to the point that Nickolas expected to be fawned over and getting his way was the norm.

Hyorimaru, like every one of the clan's pups, had been well loved and cherished, but he had been taught to keep his snout out of trouble because the real world, out of the nursery, was a kill or be killed, hunt or be hunted, and it _would not _coddle him because he was just a pup.

No if he was lucky he would be chewed up and spit out hardly alive.

But alive

If he wasn't lucky, well, he'd be someone's dinner.

It was a hard lesson, but one every demon learned.

He was just glad he hadn't known the pup who'd been unfortunate enough to ignore that lesson well. Seeing the remains, while clinging to his father's hakama like every other pup, had been hard enough.

Still it had driven the lesson home!

He closed his eyes and listened to the soft howling of the few true wolves and the deeper more guttural almost braying howl of something else out in the forest, before throwing his head back and letting out his own long low howl.

HPIYHPIYHPIY

In the Forbidden Forest A stag pulled up short from I'd headlong run. Turning its head in the direction of the magnificent Castle it quivered from nose to tail in terror. Beside it a large brown Werewolf paused and turned its head towards the unearthly howl, tail tucking up between its legs, as it whimpered in fear.

Prongs shook his head, brandishing his magnificent rack of Horns and nudged Moony away, perhaps it would be safer to stay in the Shack tonight. He was glad Padfoot had not come with them tonight, he probably would have wanted to investigate. The Traitor hadn't spoken to him since their shouting match before the school year started. When he'd told him that the damned whelp Harry was not in fact going to be found, that he'd made certain the boy would never be found.

Padfoot didn't understand how important Nick was, how unimportant Harry was, he wanted to make Harry his heir, since he didn't think he'd ever find himself a good woman to settle down with. If someone was going to inherit the Black fortune, it should be Nick.

Hyorimaru was utterly worthless.

Still he missed Padfoot, once his brother in all but blood was done mourning the death of his worthless godson he would welcome him back with open arms but for now… it was just him and Moony, and he had to be sure his friend never stumbled upon Hyorimaru.

That would be a disaster.

i This is thank you very much according to google

ii Many cultures consider English to be an empty, dead or stagnant language. (My own included, we consider it to be a 'very hissy language' as my little brother once put it. ) No offence intended.


End file.
